From Orphan to Citizen: A Woman's Journey to Asylum and Belonging
A woman who was adopted by an American war veteran and orphaned in Iran in the 1970s has been granted asylum by a federal immigration judge. The judge's decision brings an end to a challenging period for the California woman, who faced deportation threats earlier this year due to bureaucratic issues related to her adoption and immigration status.
The woman, who has lived in the United States since she was a toddler, received a letter from the Department of Homeland Security in February ordering her to appear for removal proceedings. Despite having no criminal record, she was deemed eligible for deportation based on overstaying her visa as a child.
Following a harrowing experience of being tracked with an ankle monitor, fingerprinted, and having her DNA taken, the woman's lawyer emphasized that the government had the authority to recognize her as an American citizen. The Department of Homeland Security declined to comment on her case.
The woman's parents, who were living in Iran at the time of her adoption, brought her to the U.S. in 1973 and completed the adoption process. However, she only discovered she had not been naturalized when she applied for a passport at 38 years old. Despite having documentation like a social security card and driver's license, the immigration agency denied her citizenship.
In a recent federal lawsuit, the woman sought to prevent her removal and compel the government to grant her citizenship. The immigration judge's ruling acknowledged the lack of available documents from the U.S. Embassy in Tehran during the 1979 hostage crisis and declared her a refugee, paving the way for her to be recognized as a citizen.
The woman, who has always believed she should be considered a U.S. citizen, expressed hope and relief at the judge's decision. She felt a sense of duty to protect her late father's legacy, as he was a conscientious military official who would not have knowingly left his daughter in legal limbo.