The United States has adopted hundreds of thousands of children from abroad, yet thousands remain without citizenship due to a longstanding bureaucratic loophole. Many of these adoptees live in fear of deportation, with some already having been removed from the country. A bipartisan bill to grant them citizenship has languished in Congress for a decade, stalled by political divisions over immigration policy. Advocates express concern about potential repercussions if former President Donald Trump is reelected, citing his promises of increased immigration enforcement. The system for foreign adoptions was poorly integrated with immigration laws, leaving many adopted children without the legal protections afforded to biological children. This situation has left adoptees like 'Buttons', who was adopted from Iran, feeling abandoned by the very system meant to protect them.