Closing a Loophole Denying U.S. Citizenship to Some Adoptees Who Came Here as Children (S. 2522)
Do you support or oppose this bill?
What is S. 2522?
(Updated November 29, 2021)
This bill — the Adoptee Citizenship Act — would close a loophole in immigration law by ensuring children adopted from foreign countries are granted U.S. citizenship. Under the Child Citizenship Act of 2000 automatic citizenship is granted to adoptees under the age of 18, but the law didn’t apply to adoptees who were over the age of 18 when it went into effect — meaning an estimated 35,000 adoptees who had been legally adopted as children and are now adults were unable to receive citizenship.
Argument in favor
This bill would close a loophole in the Child Citizenship Act which left thousands of internationally-adopted children without U.S. citizenship, ensuring they have the ability to pursue the American dream without fear of deportation.
Argument opposed
Individuals who were born overseas and legally adopted before the Child Citizenship Act’s enactment and weren’t granted citizenship should have to go through the naturalization process even if it means deportation.
Impact
Adopted individuals who weren’t granted citizenship because of their age at the time of the Child Citizenship Act’s enactment; and the federal government.
Cost of S. 2522
A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.
Additional Info
In-Depth: Sponsoring Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) introduced this bill to close a loophole in the Adoptee Citizenship Act which has denied thousands of foreign-born adoptees their American citizenship:
“The Child Citizenship Act left thousands of internationally-adopted children, who are now adults, in an untenable position, facing everything from difficulty applying for a passport to possible deportation. These men and women were raised by American parents in the United States, and should have the same rights as other adoptees under the CCA. By fixing current law to meet the original goal of the CCA, we will help ensure these individuals have the security, stability, and opportunity their parents intended for them when they welcomed them into their families.”
Original cosponsor Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) added:
“International adoptees who were adopted by American parents and raised as Americans should have the same rights of citizenship as biological children. I’m proud to work with Senator Blunt to close the loophole in the Child Citizenship Act and right this wrong.”
This legislation has the support of three bipartisan cosponsors in the Senate, including Hirono and Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Susan Collins (R-ME).
Media:
Summary by Eric Revell
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