One adoptee was only twelve months when she was taken in by a American couple back in 1966.
Born in the Korean peninsula, her birth father served of the American military, who went back shortly after Shirley was born.
"He abandoned us, is the kindest phrasing I can express it," says Shirley, now 61.
After around a year, Shirley was welcomed into the home of a American pair, who took her back to the Lone Star State.
An American Upbringing
She was raised living a life similar to that of many American youths.
"I lived and breathed and got in trouble like many American teenagers of the 80s. I'm a child of the 80s," Shirley says.
Shirley had children, entered matrimony and worked as a music instructor.
Life carried on for decades with no reason to question her American identity.
However in 2012, her world came crashing down.
Citizenship Crisis
She misplaced her government identification and needed a replacement.
However 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 lacked citizenship," she says.
Widespread Problem
Shirley is not alone. Estimates of how many American adoptees lack citizenship range from 18,000 to 75,000.
Dozens adoptees have been deported to their nations of origin in the past decade, as reported by adoptee rights organizations.
Additional Account
Another woman, preferring to remain unnamed for fear of drawing notice of authorities, was adopted by an US pair from the Middle East in 1973 when she was just a toddler.
"I settled into my life, consistently believing that I was a US national. That's what I was told. I continue to feel that today," she says.
Historical Context
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.
Current Fears
Those fears for adopted individuals and their relatives have risen even further since recent political changes.
Advocacy organizations say they have been flooded with assistance inquiries and certain individuals have disappeared from public view.
"When the election results came in, it started to really cascade with requests for help," said an attorney working with adoption law.
Lacking National Identity
"At the end of the day, authorities aren't concerned about your personal history. They don't care that you're legally here and it's merely documentation issues," she said.
"I always tell people that one document of paper has fundamentally damaged my life," she stated.
"As far as I'm concerned currently, I feel without a country."
Possible Resolution
Although these individuals being left in limbo for decades, attorneys believe it is just a case of political will that should gain bipartisan support from across the political spectrum.
"This ought to be an uncomplicated solution: children through adoption should be equal to their biological siblings of parents who were American nationals at the moment of their birth," said a legal advocate.
Final Plea
The adoptee hopes she could meet with national leaders for a discussion, so she and others like her could explain their stories.
"I would request to please have some compassion. We aren't undocumented immigrants," she stated.
"We were placed on planes as little itty-bitty babies. Just please hear our accounts and honor with the commitment that America made to every of the babies that got on those planes: US nationality."