Is there bigger news this year for KADs then Adam Crapser being deported, punished because his parents failed to get him naturalized? Yes, he had some run-ins with the law in the past, but he served his time – and most fundamentally, he would not be deported if his parents (2 sets of them!) had not failed in their parental responsibility to naturalize their adopted son.
On Monday, October 24, 2016, Immigration Judge John C. O’Dell ruled that Korean adoptee Adam Crapser would not be granted relief for cancellation of removal and will be deported to South Korea. Adopted at the age of 3 by U.S. citizens and surviving two sets of abusive adoptive parents, Mr. Crapser is being deported to a country where he does not speak the native language, does not know the culture, and will have great difficulty securing gainful employment and integrating into Korean society.
Adam is one of an estimated 35,000 intercountry adoptees who do not have U. S. citizenship. Introduced in November 2015, the Adoptee Citizenship Act will close a loophole in a 2001 law and grant citizenship to these adoptees.
After the hearing, Adam said, “While I am disappointed in the judge’s ruling and worried about my family’s future, I hope that what has happened to me will further demonstrate the importance of passing the Adoptee Citizenship Act.”
Jenna Cho Ness of the Adoptee Rights Campaign, who attend the hearing, remarked, “The outcome is extremely disheartening for the adoptee community. It seems outrageous that we were brought to the United States for adoption as children but can be later deported back as adults. This goes against what this country is supposed to stand for.”
Please take 5 minutes to support the Adoptee Citizenship Act now and put an end to the deportation of adoptees by:
* Calling your Member of Congress and asking them to support the Adoptee Citizenship Act. Click HERE to find your Member of Congress.
* Donating to the Adoptee Rights Campaign at http://adopteerightscampaign.org/donate/