One adoptee was just a year old when she was adopted by a US family during 1966.
Hailing from the Korean peninsula, her birth father was a member of the American military, who returned home shortly after Shirley was born.
"He left us behind, is the nicest way I can express it," says Shirley, currently in her sixties.
After around a year, Shirley was adopted by a US couple, who brought her to the Lone Star State.
Growing Up American
She was raised living a life comparable with that of many American youths.
"I moved and breathed and found mischief like many teenage Americans of the 80s. I belong of the 80s," Shirley says.
She became a mother, got married and became a music instructor.
Life carried on for decades with no reason to doubt her American identity.
However in 2012, her life was turned upside down.
Citizenship Crisis
She lost her government identification and needed a replacement.
But when she went to her government agency, Shirley was informed she had to demonstrate her legal standing in the country.
"I had an emotional collapse upon discovering I wasn't a citizen," she explains.
A Common Issue
This situation isn't unique. Approximations of how many US adopted individuals lack citizenship vary between 18,000 to 75,000.
Numerous adopted individuals have been deported to their countries of birth in the past decade, according to adoptee rights organizations.
Additional Account
Another woman, who requested anonymity for fear of drawing notice of authorities, was taken in by an American couple from Iran in 1973 when she was two years old.
"I settled into my existence, always understanding that I was a US national. That's what I was told. I still believe that today," she states.
Legal Background
For decades, international adoptions approved by legal systems did not assure US citizenship.
The Child Citizenship Act of 2000 created progress in rectifying this, granting automatic citizenship to international adoptees.
Present Concerns
Those fears for adoptees and their families have risen even further following recent political changes.
Advocacy organizations say they have been flooded with requests for help and certain individuals have disappeared from public view.
"Following political outcomes came in, it began increasing significantly with pleas for assistance," noted an attorney working with adoptee cases.
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 said.
"I frequently explain that one document of paper has fundamentally damaged my life," she stated.
"As far as I'm concerned right now, I feel stateless."
Possible Resolution
Although these individuals being left in limbo for many years, attorneys believe it is simply a matter of political will that should unite people from across the political spectrum.
"This ought to be a straightforward fix: children through adoption should be treated the same as their biological siblings of guardians who were American nationals at the moment of their birth," commented an attorney.
Last Appeal
The adoptee hopes she could meet with national leaders into a room, so she and others like her could share their experiences.
"I would ask him to show understanding. We're not illegal aliens," she stated.
"We were put on planes as infants and young children. Just please hear our accounts and please follow through with the commitment that America gave each one of the babies that got on those planes: US nationality."
