One adoptee was only twelve months when she was adopted by a American couple during 1966.
Born in South Korea, her biological father was a member of the US armed forces, who went back soon after Shirley was born.
"He left us behind, is the nicest way I can put it," states Shirley, currently in her sixties.
Approximately one year later, Shirley was welcomed into the home of a US couple, who brought her to the Lone Star State.
An American Upbringing
She was raised living a life similar to those of most American youths.
"I moved and breathed and got in trouble similar to other teenage Americans during the eighties. I belong of the 80s," Shirley recalls.
She became a mother, entered matrimony and worked as a piano teacher.
Her life progressed for decades with little cause to question her US citizenship.
However in 2012, her world came crashing down.
Discovering Non-Citizen Status
She lost her Social Security card and needed a replacement.
However when she went to her government agency, Shirley was told she needed to prove her legal standing in the country.
"I experienced an emotional collapse upon discovering I lacked citizenship," she explains.
Widespread Problem
This situation isn't unique. Estimates of how many US adopted individuals are without citizenship vary between thousands to tens of thousands.
Numerous adopted individuals have been deported to their countries of birth in the past decade, according to adoptee rights organizations.
Another Story
A different individual, preferring to remain unnamed for concern about attracting the attention of authorities, was adopted by an US pair from Iran in 1973 when she was just a toddler.
"I settled into my life, consistently believing that I was a US national. That was what I learned. I still believe that today," she states.
Legal Background
Over many years, international adoptions authorized through courts and government agencies did not automatically guarantee US citizenship.
The Child Citizenship Act of 2000 created progress in addressing this issue, granting automatic citizenship to children adopted from abroad.
Present Concerns
These concerns for adopted individuals and their families have risen even further since shifts in administration.
Advocacy organizations say they have been flooded with requests for help and some adoptees have disappeared from public view.
"When the election results came in, it began increasing significantly with requests for help," said an attorney specializing in adoptee cases.
Lacking National Identity
"At the end of the day, authorities aren't concerned about your back story. They don't care that you're legally here and it's just a paperwork error," she said.
"I always tell people this one single piece of paper has fundamentally damaged my life," she stated.
"As far as I'm concerned right now, I feel without a country."
Potential Solution
Although these individuals being in legal uncertainty for decades, attorneys believe it is just a case of political will that should unite people from across the political spectrum.
"This ought to be an uncomplicated solution: adopted children should be treated the same as their biological siblings of guardians who were US citizens at the time of birth," said a legal advocate.
Last Appeal
The adoptee hopes she could meet with national leaders for a discussion, so she and others like her could explain their stories.
"I would request to please have some compassion. We aren't undocumented immigrants," she stated.
"We were placed on planes as infants and young children. Just please hear our accounts and please follow through with the promise that America made to every of the babies that got on those planes: US nationality."
