Leah Elmquist, who was adopted from South Korea as a child, only gained U.S. citizenship and a passport right before her 40th birthday in 2022. She served in the Navy for a decade and excelled in her duties, but her lack of citizenship prevented her from advancing in rank. After leaving the service, she lived in fear of being deported. An investigation by the Associated Press reveals that thousands of adopted children from abroad are still unable to obtain U.S. citizenship due to legal loopholes. Although Congress is aware of this issue, meaningful action to address it has been lacking. Many of these “undocumented children” were adopted decades ago by military families and now face the threat of deportation, with some already having been expelled.
The number of overseas adopted children affected is estimated to be between 15,000 and 75,000, primarily from countries like South Korea, Ethiopia, Romania, and Belize. While they possess adoption documents signed by judges and bearing government seals that affirm their rights as children of American families, these children do not automatically gain citizenship upon adoption.
As they reach adulthood and attempt to apply for passports, driver’s licenses, seek employment, or access government benefits, these individuals are often shocked to learn they are not U.S. citizens. This discovery thrusts their lives into chaos, especially when the government announces crackdowns on undocumented immigrants, leaving them terrified of being reported.
In response, they have launched the Adoptee Rights Campaign, receiving support from the Southern Baptist Convention and progressive immigration advocates. Many share a sense of frustration and confusion over the government’s inaction on this pressing issue.
The international adoption landscape grew significantly during the 1950s due to the Korean War, when American families sought infants and the Korean government aimed to reduce its large population. The rush to meet American demands led governments like Korea’s to expedite adoption processes without securing citizenship for the adoptees; some children even entered the U.S. on tourist or medical visas.
In 2000, Congress recognized that adoptees were facing legal inequities. With nearly 20,000 children adopted into the U.S. each year and without standardized procedures to support adoptive families, Congress passed the Child Citizenship Act, which automatically granted citizenship to adopted children. However, this law only applies to those under 18, excluding anyone born before February 27, 1983.
Both sides of the political aisle generally support the idea of rescuing children through adoption, with many churches advocating for international adoption as a biblical mandate. However, Hannah Daniel, the public policy director for the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, noted that her decade-long efforts to expand citizenship eligibility to all legally adopted individuals have yielded no results. In the current partisan environment surrounding immigration issues, any bill proposing a pathway to citizenship remains stalled.
