IL HJR0024

The Child Citizenship Act of 2000 did not apply to internationally-born adoptees who were already over age 18, leaving an estimated tens of thousands of adult legal adoptees born before February 27, 1982 without U.S. citizenship and potentially subject to deportation.

An estimated 19,000 Korean American adoptees alone lack American citizenship despite being adopted and raised in the United States, along with adoptees from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Germany, Guatemala, El Salvador, India, Ireland, Haiti, Iran, Japan, Mexico, Panama, Philippines, Russia, Ukraine, and Vietnam.

The Illinois General Assembly supports automatic citizenship for all qualifying children adopted by U.S. citizen parents regardless of adoption finalization date and condemns the deportation of internationally-adopted individuals who should have citizenship matching their adoptive parents.

The resolution urges Congress and the President to enact legislation securing citizenship for all internationally-adopted children who are now adults, ensuring they are not forcibly removed from their home country.

Copies of the resolution shall be delivered to the President, U.S. Senate leadership, U.S. House leadership, and all members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation.