One adoptee was only twelve months when she was taken in by a US family back in 1966.
Hailing from South Korea, her birth father was a member of the US armed forces, who went back shortly after Shirley was born.
"He abandoned us, is the kindest phrasing I can express it," says Shirley, currently in her sixties.
Approximately one year later, Shirley was welcomed into the home of a US couple, who took her back to Texas.
An American Upbringing
She was raised living a life comparable with those of most young Americans.
"I moved and breathed and found mischief similar to other teenage Americans during the eighties. I belong of the 80s," Shirley recalls.
She became a mother, entered matrimony and became a piano teacher.
Life carried on for decades with no reason to doubt her American identity.
But then in 2012, her life was turned upside down.
Discovering Non-Citizen Status
She lost her Social Security card and needed a replacement.
But when she went to her local Social Security office, Shirley was informed she had to demonstrate her legal standing in the country.
"I experienced a little mental breakdown upon discovering I wasn't a citizen," she says.
Widespread Problem
This situation isn't unique. Estimates of how many US adopted individuals lack citizenship range from 18,000 to 75,000.
Numerous adopted individuals have been removed to their countries of birth in the past decade, according to adoptee rights organizations.
Another Story
Another woman, preferring to remain unnamed for concern about drawing notice of government officials, was taken in by an American couple from the Middle East in 1973 when she was two years old.
"I settled into my existence, consistently believing that I was an American citizen. That's what I was told. I continue to feel that today," she says.
Legal Background
Over many years, intercountry adoptions authorized through legal systems did not automatically guarantee US citizenship.
The Child Citizenship Act of 2000 created progress in rectifying this, granting automatic citizenship to children adopted from abroad.
Current Fears
Those fears for adopted individuals and their relatives have risen even further following shifts in administration.
Adoptee rights groups say they have been flooded with requests for help and some adoptees have gone into hiding.
"Following political outcomes were announced, it began increasing significantly with requests for help," noted an attorney working with adoption law.
Stateless Feeling
"Ultimately, authorities aren't concerned about your back story. They're not interested that you're legally here and it's merely documentation issues," she expressed.
"I frequently explain that one document of paper has essentially just ruined my life," she stated.
"As far as I'm concerned currently, I feel stateless."
Possible Resolution
Although these individuals being left in limbo for many years, legal experts believe it is just a case of political will that should gain bipartisan support from all political parties.
"This ought to be a straightforward fix: adopted children should be equal to their biological siblings of parents who were American nationals at the time of birth," said a legal advocate.
Final Plea
The adoptee hopes she could get the US president into a room, so she and others like her could explain their stories.
"I would ask him to please have some compassion. We're not illegal aliens," she stated.
"We were put on planes as little itty-bitty babies. Just please hear our story and honor with the promise that the United States gave each one of the children that were brought here: American citizenship."
