When he was adopted by U.S. citizen parents at the age of three, Adam faced chronic and severe child abuse and neglect from two adoptive parents, who didn’t even bother to fulfill their responsibility to naturalize him. Because of their neglect, Adam, at age 40, had been held in a detention center, facing the possibility of deportation.
U.S. media including New York Times, Huffington Post, and NBC News, as well as Korean media MBC, covered his hapless life story, which entailed campaigns to support the Adoptee Citizenship Act.
In spite of efforts, Adam was not granted relief for cancellation of removal and is expected to be deported to South Korea. According to the Adoptee Rights Campaign, Immigration Judge John C. O’Dell ruled not to grant the filed relief on Monday, October 24, 2016.
After spending eight months in detention at the Northwest Tacoma Detention Center, separated from his family including three children, Adam is being deported to Korea, where he does not speak the native language or know the culture of.
After the hearing, Adam said, “While I am disappointed in the judge’s ruling and worried about my family’s future, I hope that what has happened to me will further demonstrate the importance of passing the Adoptee Citizenship Act.”
By Heewon Kim
