Your response to this news depends on your perspective about adoption. Do you support adoption through the lifetime of adoptees, or only when the babies and children arrive?

Per my post How Does the Recent U.S. Freeze on Visas from 75 Countries Affect International Adoptees?, the Trump Administration recently announced that immigrant visas from 75 countries are being frozen.

The freeze thus affected international adoptees in the process of being adopted: they are considered immigrants seeking permanent U.S. citizenship.

While international adoption numbers have dropped significantly in recent years, some countries–such as Colombia, Brazil, Ghana, Jamaica, Nigeria, Thailand, Cameroon, Haiti, and others–still send children to the U.S. for adoption. That was paused when the immigrant visa freeze was put into effect.

The State Department yesterday announced an adoption exception to the visa freeze:

“Effective January 21, 2026, the Department of State paused visa issuances to immigrant visa applicants who are nationals of 75 countries.

President Trump and his Administration support families and intercountry adoption.

In countries where the issuance of immigrant visas is currently limited or paused, children being adopted by Americans can qualify for an exception under the National Interest Exception. (Emphasis mine.)

These American families should continue the normal adoption process.  They should submit visa applications and attend consular interviews.  They do not need to take other additional steps to be considered for a case-by-case exception under the National Interest Exception.

For additional details, visit travel.state.gov here.”

Why is this good news/bad news?

It’s good news to the families whose adoptions were in process. I hope it’s good news for the children being adopted. I hope their adoptions have no fraud or coercion connected to them. I hope the children are well cared for here.

It’s good news for the National Council for Adoption, which lobbied for this exception, and for the adoption agencies who did so as well. It’s bad news for all the other potential immigrants from those 75 countries.

It’s a carve out, an exception, an opening of a door. I’ve no doubt there is an emotional factor here, especially for folks who see adoption as only wonderful.

I get why folks don’t want to acknowledge the struggles that adoption causes for some adoptees, or the role that fraud, money, and corruption have played in international adoption.

Those images of sweet babies being adopted into American homes are powerful.

Those sweet babies grow up. Even in the most loving of adoptive homes, adoptees may feel like outsiders. They may yearn to reconnect with their original family and heritage. They may deal with a lack of medical history that shows mental illness or other conditions. They may deal with ambiguous or other forms of grief. And, I know, they may roll through life just fine.

Some international adoptees, whether from loving or abusive adoptive homes, will be deported. Some have been, some have died, some will be deported in the days to come.

That State Department press release says “President Trump and his Administration support families and intercountry adoption.”

I’d guess most members of the U.S. Congress also support families and intercountry adoption.

Yet the Congress has not, for over 15 years, passed legislation to grant citizenship to all international adoptees.

Could a “National Interest Exception” for little child adoption visas extend possibly to adult adoptee citizenship?

Will the National Council for Adoption and adoption agencies mount a significant advocacy campaign for citizenship for all international adoptees, as they did for the little children to arrive here with their “forever families”? Will more adoptive parents, including those whose children are U.S. citizens, speak out and use their power to insist on citizenship for all international adoptees?

Will the Congress pass and the President sign the “Protect Adoptees and American Families” act? Please urge your members of Congress to sign on to the bill, especially Republicans,

Or will the news continue only to be bad for adult adoptees, now in their 40’s, 50’s and older, who did not acquire citizenship through no fault of theirs?

Mike is not the only adoptee who’s been deported, and I urge you to support the work of Adoptees for Justice to help all international adoptees obtain citizenship. Adoptees should have the same rights and privileges as other family members.

In the almost 4 years since we’ve been running this campaign, folks have donated over $5000, for which we are very grateful. Mike has used the funds for legal and medical expenses, as well as occasionally for living expenses, to survive alone at 63 years old of age. Please donate, as we are beginning to run low on funds. Even a small amount is deeply appreciated, and will be used responsibly. Many thanks.

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