Senators Work To Close Loophole That Denied Internationally Adopted Kids Citizenship

Several U.S senators are working on closing a loophole that’s kept internationally-adopted kids, who are now adults, from receiving citizenship despite being raised by their American parents. Senator Roy Blunt is one of the sponsors of the bi-partsian bill known as the Adoptee Citizenship Act of 2019.

U.S. Senators Roy Blunt is joined by Senators Mazie Hirono (Hawaii), Susan Collins (Maine), and Amy Klobuchar (Minn.) in introducing the Adoptee Citizenship Act of 2019. The bipartisan bill would close that loophole in the Child Citizenship Act of 2000 (CCA).

Senator Roy Blunt tells News Talk KZRG “These children, who are now adults, should have been given the same rights afforded to other adoptees under the CCA. This bipartisan bill will fix current law to ensure these individuals have the stability and opportunity they should have had when their families welcomed them into the U.S.”

The CCA guarantees citizenship to most international adoptees, but the law only applies to adoptees who were under the age of 18 when the law took effect on February 27, 2001. The loophole denies citizenship to adoptees who were age 18 or over in February 2001, even though they were legally adopted as children by U.S. citizens and raised in the United States. The legislation introduced today fixes this problem by making citizenship automatic for international adoptees who were legally adopted by U.S. citizens as children, regardless of how old they eventually were when the Child Citizenship Act took effect.

“Our bipartisan bill makes citizenship automatic for all adopted children regardless of their age at adoption.” said Klobuchar.

Without citizenship, these international adoptees face many barriers, such as having trouble applying for a passport, license, or student financial aid. In some cases, they have been deported to the country in which they were born, where they may have no known family and little chance of succeeding.

In addition to the bipartisan congressional support for the Adoptee Citizenship Act, the legislation has garnered widespread praise among the nation’s leading adoption advocacy organizations.

“Adoptees who join American families as children grow up with American values and contribute to our nation’s communities in every way,” said Joy Alessi, Director, Adoptee Rights Campaign. “Passing the Adoptee Citizenship Act will provide the benefits and protections that many adoptees did not receive during their adoption process. Citizenship is critical for economic stability, family preservation, and social legitimacy. Finally, equal citizenship rights will strengthen our national values by empowering adoptees to participate in American democracy. ”