HF 4332

as introduced - 92nd Legislature (2021 - 2022) Posted on 03/17/2022 02:20pm

A resolution
urging the President of the United States and the United States Congress to enact
legislation securing the citizenship of internationally adopted adult individuals.

WHEREAS, since the close of World War II over 350,000 children have been adopted from
abroad by United States citizen parents; and

WHEREAS, the Child Citizenship Act of 2000, passed by the 106th Congress, aimed to
provide equal treatment under United States law for adopted and biological children by granting
citizenship for internationally born adoptees; and

WHEREAS, the Child Citizenship Act of 2000 did not apply to international adoptees who
were over the age of 18 when the act became law; and

WHEREAS, tens of thousands of legally adopted individuals born before February 27, 1983,
and raised in the United States or who did not enter on an "orphan visa" do not have United States
citizenship and therefore are potentially subject to deportation; and

WHEREAS, these adoptees' parents did not complete the necessary processes to provide
their adopted children with citizenship or, in many cases, even a green card; and

WHEREAS, the deportation of legally adopted individuals has occurred, breaking up families
and returning these individuals to places where they do not know the language or culture or have
any known family members; and

WHEREAS, the individuals who do not have citizenship were adopted from various countries,
including Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Germany, Guatemala, El Salvador, India,
Ireland, Haiti, Iran, Japan, Mexico, Panama, the Philippines, Russia, Ukraine, and Vietnam; and

WHEREAS, two bills which would have granted citizenship to certain adult adoptees were
introduced with bipartisan support in the 115th Congress: the Adoptee Citizenship Act of 2018 (S.
2522) and the Adoptee Citizenship Act of 2018 (H.R. 5233). Neither bill was referred out of
committee for a Congressional vote; and

WHEREAS, both bills sought to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to grant automatic
citizenship to all qualifying children adopted by a United States citizen parent, regardless of the
date on which the adoption was finalized or the date of the entrance visa; and

WHEREAS, citizenship would be granted to any individual who was adopted by a United
States citizen before age 18, was physically present in the United States in the citizen parent's legal
custody pursuant to lawful admission before the individual reached age 18, had never previously
acquired United States citizenship, and was lawfully residing in the United States; and

WHEREAS, major cities such as Seattle, Los Angeles, Houston, and Philadelphia have
already passed resolutions in support of adoptee citizenship, as has the state of California; and

WHEREAS, citizenship is a civil right of all children adopted by a United States citizen
parent; and

WHEREAS, children adopted by United States citizen parents should have the same rights
as children of United States citizens; and

WHEREAS, this civil right should be protected by legislation that provides automatic
citizenship for all adult adoptees whose adoptive parents did not complete the naturalization process
while they were children; NOW, THEREFORE,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Legislature of the State of Minnesota that it urges the President
and the Congress of the United States to enact legislation securing the citizenship of internationally
adopted adult individuals.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of State of the State of Minnesota is directed
to prepare copies of this memorial and transmit them to the President of the United States, the
President and the Secretary of the United States Senate, the Speaker and the Clerk of the United
States House of Representatives, the chair of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, the chair of
the House Committee on the Judiciary, and Minnesota's Senators and Representatives in Congress.