Adopted From Iran, Now Faces Deportation in California

A woman who grew up on a Midwest farm, idolizing her father's WWII Air Force service, now faces legal peril because she was adopted from Iran on a tourist visa. She never saw herself as an immigrant; her life has been that of a typical American.

The Department of Homeland Security says she overstayed her visa, placing her in removal proceedings. She has no criminal record and worries that deportation to Iran would be dangerous because of her Christian faith, the lack of family ties there, and the country’s political unrest.

The 2000 Child Citizenship Act normally grants adoptees automatic citizenship, but it excludes those who were adults when the law passed or who entered on a non‑immigrant visa—like her. She has spent years hunting for lost paperwork and hiring lawyers, convinced that her parents had done everything to naturalize her.

She has received a letter from DHS and an upcoming immigration judge hearing, yet she remains determined to secure her status. Her story illustrates how gaps in the law can leave people who feel fully American trapped in a bureaucratic nightmare. The case also highlights the broader fear among adoptees of being sent to countries they barely remember, especially after recent immigration crackdowns.