Skip to main content
National

Statement on the Adoptee Citizenship Act of 2015

By December 10, 2015January 15th, 2016No Comments

For Immediate Release
December 9, 2015
Contact: Contact: Emily Kessel, eakessel@nakasec.org, 651-399-9016

NAKASEC and Affiliates Issue Statement on the Adoptee Citizenship Act of 2015

WASHINGTON DC — Recently, Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Dan Coates (R-IN), and  Jeff Merkley (D-OR) introduced the Adoptee Citizenship Act (S.2275), a piece of bipartisan legislation that will grant retroactive U.S. citizenship to international adoptees regardless of when they were adopted and create a clear pathway for adoptees who have been deported for minor crimes  and allow them to return to the United States. The Child Citizenship Act of 2000 (CCA) addressed the issue for many adoptees who were not naturalized after their adoption, but excluded those born before 1983.

In response to the official announcement of the Adoptee Citizenship Act of 2015 Executive Director of the National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC) Dae Joong Yoon, Executive Director of the Korean American Resource & Cultural Center (KRCC) Inhe Choi, and Interim Executive Director of the Korean Resource Center (KRC), issued the following statement: “NAKASEC, KRC, and KRCC are supportive of a bill that provides an automatic acquisition of United States citizenship for all internationally adopted individuals regardless of when they were adopted,  criminal background or other issues. We need legislation that will end the detention and deportation of adopted individuals and bring home those who have already been deported. It is unacceptable to have thousands of adoptees left unprotected by the Child Citizenship Act of 2000 who are denied driver’s licenses, legal employment, and the right to vote. It is time for community members to come together and demand that Congress grant all adopted individuals the automatic citizenship they need to be fully contributing members in our society.”

###

For NAKASEC photos and video, please follow us on Facebook (link) and Twitter (@nakasec)
The National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC) was founded in 1994 by local community centers to project a progressive voice and promote the full participation of Korean Americans on major social justice issues. NAKASEC maintains offices in Annandale, Virginia and Los Angeles, California. NAKASEC has affiliates in Chicago (Korean American Resource & Cultural Center) and Los Angeles and Orange County (Korean Resource Center).

X