What's Happening?
Representative Blake Moore has co-sponsored the Protect Adoptees and American Families (PAAF) Act, S2923, a bipartisan bill aimed at providing a path to citizenship for international adoptees. This legislation addresses a gap in federal law that currently
denies citizenship to some international adoptees based solely on their age when the Child Citizenship Act of 2000 took effect. The PAAF Act proposes that citizenship be granted simply by proof of legal adoption by a U.S. citizen, mirroring the process for biological children born in the U.S. This would place older international adoptees on equal footing with their younger siblings through an administrative document review. The Utah Legislature unanimously passed a resolution in 2022, signed by Governor Spencer Cox, supporting citizenship for international adoptees. Representative Moore, along with Senator John Curtis and Representative Burgess Owens, has co-sponsored versions of the PAAF in previous Congresses.
Why It's Important?
The PAAF Act is crucial for rectifying a long-standing disparity in U.S. citizenship law that affects thousands of international adoptees. Many individuals adopted as infants and young children by American parents were brought to the U.S. with the understanding that they would become full citizens, only to discover later in life that they were not. This legal loophole has led to situations where older adoptees face different citizenship rights than their younger siblings, despite being raised in the same American families. The current naturalization process, which some alternative bills mimic, often requires a criminal and moral character review that younger adoptees never had to undergo, and offers no protection against deportation while applications are pending. The PAAF Act seeks to uphold the promise made to these families and ensure that all adopted children are recognized as equal members of their American families, aligning federal law with the values of family permanence and equality.
What's Next?
The PAAF Act, S2923, will continue through the legislative process in Congress. Proponents of the PAAF Act are urging lawmakers, including Senator Mike Lee, to withdraw support for alternative bills, such as the Citizenship for International Adoptees (CIA) Act, S5191, and instead back the PAAF. The CIA Act is criticized by adoptee advocates for not truly providing automatic citizenship and for largely repeating the existing naturalization process, which has led to deportations of international adoptees for minor offenses. The focus will be on garnering sufficient bipartisan support to pass the PAAF Act, ensuring that international adoptees receive a straightforward path to citizenship based on their legal adoption by U.S. citizens. The outcome will significantly impact the legal status and security of many adoptee families across the nation.
Beyond the Headlines
The debate surrounding the PAAF Act and similar legislation highlights deeper ethical and legal questions about the rights and protections afforded to adopted individuals. The fact that some international adoptees, brought to the U.S. as children, can face deportation decades later underscores a fundamental flaw in the legal framework. This situation raises concerns about equal protection under the law, as biological children or younger adoptees in similar circumstances would not face such risks. The involvement of organizations like Holt International, which has faced scrutiny regarding its past adoption practices, in shaping citizenship legislation further complicates the issue. The push for the PAAF Act is not just about legal status; it's about affirming the identity and belonging of individuals who have always considered themselves American, and ensuring that the promise of family is fully honored by the state.
