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One adoptee was only twelve months when she was adopted by a US family during 1966.

Born in South Korea, her birth father served of the American military, who returned home soon after Shirley was born.

"He abandoned us, is the nicest way I can express it," says Shirley, now 61.

Approximately one year later, Shirley was adopted by a US couple, who took her back to the Lone Star State.

Growing Up American

Shirley grew up living a life comparable with that of many young Americans.

"I lived and breathed and got in trouble similar to other American teenagers during the eighties. I'm a child of the 80s," Shirley recalls.

Shirley had children, got married and became a music instructor.

Life carried on for decades with no reason to doubt her American identity.

However in 2012, her world came crashing down.

Citizenship Crisis

She misplaced her Social Security card and required a new one.

But when she visited her government agency, Shirley was informed she needed to prove her status in the country.

"I had a little mental breakdown upon discovering I wasn't a citizen," she explains.

Widespread Problem

This situation isn't unique. Estimates of how many US adopted individuals are without citizenship range from 18,000 to 75,000.

Numerous adoptees have been deported to their nations of origin in recent years, as reported by advocacy groups.

Additional Account

A different individual, preferring to remain unnamed for concern about drawing notice of authorities, was adopted by an American couple from Iran in 1973 when she was just a toddler.

"I settled into my existence, always understanding 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 made some headway in addressing this issue, granting automatic citizenship to international adoptees.

Current Fears

These concerns for adoptees and their families have risen even further following recent political changes.

Adoptee rights groups say they have been overwhelmed by assistance inquiries and certain individuals have gone into hiding.

"Following political outcomes came in, it started to really cascade with requests for help," noted an attorney specializing in adoption law.

Stateless Feeling

"At the end of the day, they don't care about your personal history. They don't care that your presence is lawful and it's merely documentation issues," she said.

"I frequently explain this one single piece of paper has fundamentally damaged my life," she stated.

"From my perspective currently, I feel stateless."

Potential Solution

Although these individuals being in legal uncertainty for many years, legal experts believe it is just a case of legislative action that should unite people from all political parties.

"This ought to be an uncomplicated solution: children through adoption should be equal to their natural brothers and sisters of guardians who were American nationals at the time of birth," commented an attorney.

Final Plea

The adoptee hopes she could meet with national leaders into a room, so she and others like her could share their experiences.

"I would ask him to please have some compassion. We aren't undocumented immigrants," 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 America gave each one of the babies that got on those planes: American citizenship."