International Adoption - Child Citizenship Act

On that day, I was proud to host the national celebration at a remarkable ceremony at historic Fanueil Hall in Boston.  It was especially moving to have my daughter Kara, herself adopted during the Saigon babylift 25 years ago, by my side to share in the joy and pride of the hundreds of adoptive families who crowded into the festivities.

Fanueil Hall, built in 1742, was the scene of revolutionary speeches by Samuel Adams, the anti-slavery oratory of Frederick Douglass, and the call for women's suffrage by Susan B. Anthony.  The citizenship celebration was just as riveting.  The program featured colonial fifers and Chinese ribbon dancers, a Pulitzer Prize historian and foreign Ambassadors; and the cheers were deafening when adopted children from 26 nations, carrying their native national flags, paraded into the historic hall.  And Senator Kennedy nearly brought down the roof when he presented the first US passport in the nation -- proof of her new citizenship -- to a young Hingham girl who had nearly died before her adoption in China.

The new law eliminates the need for these families to undergo the bureaucratic naturalization process.  As our FAQ page explains, the bill grants automatic citizenship to all foreign-born children who are under 18 years of age, admitted to the United States as lawful permanent residents, and in the legal and physical custody of at least one parent who is a US citizen. 

After what these parents have been through in bringing their children to the United States, the naturalization process is an extra burden they shouldn't have to bear. Once the adoption is finalized and a child arrives in the US, that child is an American and should be treated as an American.

In addition to cutting through red tape and years of delay, the Citizenship act helps prevent the tragic consequences experienced by some adoptive families.  Under immigration "reforms" enacted in 1996, children who have lived in the US since infancy but were never naturalized are subject to mandatory deportation  --  and permanent separation from their families  --  if they commit certain crimes.