The letter to the US President, members of Congress, the Secretary of State and selected directors has been finalized and is being hand delivered today.
ACT teamed up with this community effort and is greatful to all who put their energy into getting this done.
However, ACT fully subscribes to David Smolin’s endorsement statement:
DAVID SMOLIN ENDORSEMENT STATEMENT
I entirely and strongly support this effort to “naturalize all adoptees,” bring the ones who havebeen deported back to the United States, and to “rescind the deportation order” regarding KairiShepherd and keep her and all adoptees facing deportation in the United States. Whatevercrimes these adoptees may have committed should be dealt with through the normal criminalprocesses, and they should be treated like other Americans, as this is the obligation which theUnited States has as the receiving nation of the children who were brought here for intercountryadoption.I disagree with the rhetoric of this letter insofar as it may imply that current U.S. policy towardintercountry adoption is correct. I also disagree with the implication that laws and regulationspertaining to intercountry adoption are needless barriers or that intercountry adoption is the bestsolution for the plight of orphans. I recognize that in this rhetoric the authors themselves maymerely intend to point out the inconsistency between deporting adoptees as non-citizens andother aspects of United States policy, which is a fair and relevant point.Respecfully,David Smolin. Dr. Smolin is the Harwell G. Davis Professor of Constitutional Law, and Director,Center for Biotechnology, Law, and Ethics, at Cumberland Law School, Samford University.
The full letter can be accessed HERE
