One adoptee was only twelve months when she was adopted by a American couple during 1966.
Born in South Korea, her birth father served of the American military, who returned home soon after Shirley was born.
"He abandoned us, is the nicest way I can express it," states Shirley, now 61.
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 experiencing a lifestyle comparable with that of many young Americans.
"I moved and breathed and got in trouble similar to other teenage Americans during the eighties. I'm a child of the 80s," Shirley says.
Shirley had children, got married and worked as a music instructor.
Her life progressed for decades with no reason to doubt her American identity.
However in 2012, her world came crashing down.
Discovering Non-Citizen Status
She misplaced her government identification and required a new one.
But when she visited her local Social Security office, 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 says.
A Common Issue
This situation isn't unique. Approximations of how many US adopted individuals are without citizenship vary between 18,000 to 75,000.
Dozens adopted individuals have been removed to their countries of birth in the past decade, according to adoptee rights organizations.
Another Story
Another woman, who requested anonymity for concern about drawing notice of authorities, was taken in by an US pair from Iran in 1973 when she was two years old.
"I settled into my life, consistently believing that I was a US national. That's what I was told. I continue to feel that today," she states.
Legal Background
Over many years, intercountry adoptions approved by legal systems did not automatically guarantee US citizenship.
The Child Citizenship Act of 2000 created progress in rectifying this, providing immediate citizenship to international adoptees.
Current Fears
These concerns 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.
"When the election results came in, it began increasing significantly with pleas for assistance," said 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 said.
"I frequently explain that one document of paper has essentially just ruined my life," she stated.
"From my perspective right now, I feel without a country."
Potential Solution
Although these individuals being left in limbo for many years, attorneys believe it is just a case of political will that should unite people from across the political spectrum.
"This ought to be a straightforward fix: adopted children should be equal to their biological siblings of parents who were US citizens at the time of birth," said a legal advocate.
Final Plea
The adoptee hopes she could meet with national leaders into a room, so she and others like her could share their experiences.
"I would request to please have some compassion. We're not illegal aliens," she said.
"We were placed on planes as little itty-bitty babies. Just please hear our story and please follow through with the commitment that the United States made to every of the babies that were brought here: American citizenship."
