Shirley Chung was only twelve months when she was taken in by a American couple back in 1966.
Born in the Korean peninsula, her biological father served of the American military, who went back soon after Shirley was born.
"He abandoned us, is the kindest phrasing I can put it," states Shirley, now 61.
After around a year, Shirley was welcomed into the home of a US couple, who took her back to Texas.
Growing Up American
Shirley grew up living a life similar to that of many young Americans.
"I moved and breathed and got in trouble like many American teenagers of the 80s. I belong of the 80s," Shirley recalls.
Shirley had children, got married and worked as a music instructor.
Life carried on for decades with no reason to doubt her American identity.
But then in 2012, her life was turned upside down.
Discovering Non-Citizen Status
She lost her Social Security card and required a new one.
But when she visited her government agency, Shirley was told she needed to prove her legal standing in the country.
"I experienced an emotional collapse after finding out I wasn't a citizen," she explains.
Widespread Problem
This situation isn't unique. Approximations of how many US adopted individuals are without citizenship vary between 18,000 to 75,000.
Numerous adopted individuals have been deported to their nations of origin in the past decade, according to advocacy groups.
Additional Account
A different individual, preferring to remain unnamed for fear of attracting the attention of authorities, was adopted by an American couple from Iran in 1973 when she was just a toddler.
"I settled into my life, always understanding that I was an American citizen. That was what I learned. I continue to feel that today," she states.
Legal Background
Over many years, intercountry adoptions authorized through courts and government agencies did not assure US citizenship.
The Child Citizenship Act of 2000 created progress in rectifying this, granting automatic citizenship to children adopted from abroad.
Present Concerns
Those fears for adoptees and their families have increased substantially since shifts in administration.
Adoptee rights groups say they have been flooded with requests for help and certain individuals have gone into hiding.
"When the election results came in, it started to really cascade with pleas for assistance," said an attorney specializing in adoption law.
Stateless Feeling
"At the end of the day, authorities aren't concerned about your back story. They don't care that you're legally here and it's merely documentation issues," she expressed.
"I always tell people that one document of paper has essentially just ruined my life," she stated.
"As far as I'm concerned currently, I feel stateless."
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 an uncomplicated solution: adopted children should be treated the same as their natural brothers and sisters of parents who were US citizens at the moment of their birth," said an attorney.
Final Plea
The adoptee hopes she could get the US president into a room, so she and similar individuals could explain their stories.
"I would ask him to please have some compassion. We're not illegal aliens," she said.
"We were placed on planes as little itty-bitty babies. Please listen to our accounts and please follow through with the commitment that the United States made to every of the children that got on those planes: American citizenship."
