The Real Story: America's Adopted, Stateless Children

The plight of international adoptees in the United States reveals a heartbreaking paradox. Many were brought to America as children, often by military families, with the promise of a better life.

Yet, thousands now face an uncertain future, caught in a legal limbo that leaves them vulnerable.

This is the story of those who were promised American citizenship but, through bureaucratic loopholes and legislative inaction, never received it.

The Promise and the Problem

Buttons, a 54-year-old woman, was adopted from Iran in 1972 by an American Air Force veteran and his wife. They brought her to the U.S. on a tourist visa, intending to make her a citizen.

But a critical oversight occurred. Because of the type of visa she was brought in on, the government considers her to have overstayed. She is therefore in the US illegally, even if she has been here since she was a toddler.

This seemingly small detail has cast a long shadow, leaving her in a precarious legal status for decades.

Buttons' story is not unique. Between 15,000 and 75,000 international adoptees in the U.S. lack citizenship due to similar circumstances.

A Life in Limbo

For these adoptees, the lack of citizenship creates a cascade of challenges. They struggle to obtain driver's licenses, jobs, and passports.

Every interaction with the government becomes a source of anxiety. The fear of deportation to countries they barely know looms large.

The current political climate, with President Trump's focus on immigration enforcement, exacerbates these fears. The current president has promised to ramp up deportations.

The Search for Solutions

Adoptees like Buttons and her friend Joy Alessi, a Korean adoptee, have banded together to fight for their rights. They formed the Adoptee Rights Campaign, seeking legislative changes to automatically grant citizenship to all international adoptees.

Their efforts have garnered support from diverse groups. However, legislative progress has been slow and frustrating.

Bills have been introduced repeatedly, only to die in Congress.

Broken Dreams and Uncertain Futures

Buttons carries a laminated newspaper clipping from her childhood, a tangible reminder of the promise made to her. She carries it alongside stacks of adoption files and court records, a desperate attempt to prove her belonging.

She has dedicated the last decade trying to find a legislative fix for herself and others in the same situation.

But, for many, the damage is already done. Some adoptees have already been deported, facing isolation and hardship in countries they don't remember.