One adoptee was just a year old when she was adopted by a American couple during 1966.
Hailing from South Korea, her birth father served of the American military, who went back soon after Shirley was born.
"He abandoned us, is the kindest phrasing I can put it," says Shirley, currently in her sixties.
After around a year, Shirley was welcomed into the home of a US couple, who took her back to the Lone Star State.
Growing Up American
She was raised experiencing a lifestyle comparable with that of many young Americans.
"I lived and breathed and found mischief similar to other teenage Americans during the eighties. I belong of the 80s," Shirley says.
Shirley had children, entered matrimony and worked as a piano teacher.
Life carried on for decades with little cause to doubt her American identity.
However in 2012, her life was turned upside down.
Citizenship Crisis
She lost her Social Security card and needed a replacement.
However when she visited her government agency, Shirley was informed she needed to prove her legal standing in the country.
"I experienced a little mental breakdown after finding out I lacked citizenship," she says.
A Common Issue
This situation isn't unique. Estimates of how many American adoptees lack citizenship vary between thousands to tens of thousands.
Numerous adoptees have been deported to their countries of birth in the past decade, as reported by advocacy groups.
Another Story
Another woman, who requested anonymity for fear of attracting the attention of authorities, was taken in by an US pair from Iran in 1973 when she was just a toddler.
"I adapted to my existence, always understanding that I was a US national. That's what I was told. I continue to feel that today," she says.
Historical Context
For decades, 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 international adoptees.
Present Concerns
These concerns for adoptees and their relatives have risen even further since shifts in administration.
Advocacy organizations say they have been flooded with requests for help and certain individuals have gone into hiding.
"When the election results came in, it began increasing significantly with requests for help," noted an attorney working with adoption law.
Stateless Feeling
"At the end of the day, authorities aren't concerned about your personal history. They don't care that your presence is lawful and it's merely documentation issues," she said.
"I always tell people that one document of paper has fundamentally damaged my life," she stated.
"From my perspective currently, I feel stateless."
Possible Resolution
Despite adoptees being left in limbo for many years, legal experts believe it is just a case of legislative action that should unite people from across the political spectrum.
"It should be an uncomplicated solution: adopted children should be equal to their natural brothers and sisters of guardians who were American nationals at the time of birth," said an attorney.
Final Plea
The adoptee hopes she could meet with national leaders into a room, so she and similar individuals could explain their stories.
"I would request to show understanding. We're not illegal aliens," she stated.
"We were put on planes as little itty-bitty babies. Just please hear our accounts and honor with the promise that the United States made to every of the babies that were brought here: US nationality."
