American Adoptees Face Deportation Fears Over Citizenship Struggles

Fri Oct 31 2025 09:43:09 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Many American adoptees are at risk of deportation due to a lack of citizenship status, highlighting a grave issue in the U.S. immigration system. Personal accounts reveal the uncertainty and fear faced by those who were adopted as children yet never received legal citizenship.

A growing number of American adoptees, some of whom were brought to the U.S. decades ago, are confronting the harsh reality of not having citizenship, leaving them vulnerable to deportation. As political climate shifts under the Trump administration, these individuals grapple with their identities and rights. Advocacy for changes in immigration legislation continues as many seek assurances of their place in the country they believe to be their home.

American Adoptees Face Deportation Fears Over Citizenship Struggles

The plight of American adoptees who lack citizenship has come to the forefront, as many face the looming threat of deportation to countries they do not remember. This issue predominantly affects those adopted before 2000, when the Child Citizenship Act began to rectify some of these concerns. However, this legislation only applied to future adoptees or those born after February 1983, leaving countless others without legal status.

Shirley Chung, adopted from South Korea at one year old, discovered decades later that she lacked citizenship. Upset and confused, she voices her frustrations, blaming the adults responsible for her adoption for failing to secure her citizenship. Her story mirrors those of many others, as estimates suggest between 18,000 and 75,000 adoptees in the U.S. may find themselves in similar situations.

Another adoptee, who wishes to remain anonymous, recalls her childhood in the Midwest, believing she was a citizen until attempts to obtain a passport revealed her undocumented status due to missing immigration paperwork. Stories like these illustrate the overwhelming fear and uncertainty that many adoptees are now experiencing, especially amid the current political climate, which has seen a surge in deportation efforts.

As pressure mounts on U.S. lawmakers, advocacy groups emphasize the need for reform to protect adoptees and grant them the citizenship rights they were promised but never received. Each adoptee's experience underscores a deeper narrative about identity, belonging, and the consequences of bureaucratic oversights.