As part of the annual Adoptee Rights National Week of Action, NYARC core partner Adoptee Rights Law Center is calling on all adopted people and their allies to contact their Congressional Representatives, specifically to ask for their support of the Equal Citizenship of Children Act. This includes you: a New Yorker.
The Equal Citizenship of Children Act would fix a loophole in current immigration law that denies US citizenship to thousands of intercountry adoptees who are too old to acquire automatic citizenship under current law. Some adoptees have also been deported because they lack US citizenship, despite being adopted by US citizen parents.
You can help out as a New York resident and constituent. If you live in a different state, go to the National Week of Action page here. This one (outlined below) is focused specifically on New York representatives and New York residents.
Contact Your New York Representative Today
What to Do and Say. Call or email your representative’s office and indicate that you support fixing US citizenship for intercountry adoptees who lack that citizenship. Explain the reasons why fixing this problem is long overdue and why it is important to you. Finally, ask that the representative support the Equal Citizenship for Children Act (HR1386), which is currently pending in Congress. Here is a sample message:
I live in [town/city]. I am an [adoptee/birthparent/adoptive parent/ally] and your constituent. I ask that you support the Equal Citizenship for Children Act (HR1386), now pending in Congress. This bill would provide US citizenship for all intercountry adopted people brought to the United States through adoption. Too many intercountry adoptees still today lack US citizenship because of a loophole in current law. It’s time to fix this loophole. Please let me know that I have your support. Let me know your position on HR1386.
To send the email, click on the Go link next to your representative’s contact information. You should receive a contact form that the representative’s office uses (and most forms ask you to enter your address to verity that you are a constituent). Use that form to provide your opinion on US citizenship for all intercountry adoptees and why it is important for you as a constituent that the Equal Citizenship for Children Act be enacted. Make sure you ask your representative to support the bill and to let you know the representative’s position on the bill. Also, consider Tweeting a message to the representative (see below).
New York Representatives: Contact Information
Note: Representatives in bold with an * next to their names are current co-sponsors of the Equal Citizenship for Children Act. If that is your representative, please contact them and thank them for their support while also requesting information on the current status of the bill. If you don’t know who your specific New York representative is, you can get that information here.
| Representative | State | Party | Phone | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jamaal Bowman* | New York | D | (202) 225-2464 | Go |
| Yvette D. Clarke* | New York | D | (202) 225-6231 | Go |
| Anthony D’Esposito | New York | R | (202) 225-5516 | Go |
| Adriano Espaillat* | New York | D | (202) 225-4365 | Go |
| Andrew R. Garbarino | New York | R | (202) 225-7896 | Go |
| Daniel S. Goldman | New York | D | (202) 225-7944 | Go |
| Brian Higgins | New York | D | (202) 225-3306 | Go |
| Hakeem S. Jeffries | New York | D | (202) 225-5936 | Go |
| Nick LaLota | New York | R | (202) 225-3826 | Go |
| Nicholas A. Langworthy | New York | R | (202) 225-3161 | Go |
| Michael Lawler | New York | R | (202) 225-6506 | Go |
| Nicole Malliotakis | New York | R | (202) 225-3371 | Go |
| Gregory W. Meeks | New York | D | (202) 225-3461 | Go |
| Grace Meng* | New York | D | (202) 225-2601 | Go |
| Marcus J. Molinaro | New York | R | (202) 225-5441 | Go |
| Joseph D. Morelle | New York | D | (202) 225-3615 | Go |
| Jerrold Nadler | New York | D | (202) 225-5635 | Go |
| Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez | New York | D | (202) 225-3965 | Go |
| Patrick Ryan | New York | D | (202) 225-5614 | Go |
| George Santos | New York | R | (202) 225-3335 | Go |
| Elise M. Stefanik | New York | R | (202) 225-4611 | Go |
| Claudia Tenney | New York | R | (202) 225-3665 | Go |
| Paul Tonko | New York | D | (202) 225-5076 | Go |
| Ritchie Torres | New York | D | (202) 225-4361 | Go |
| Nydia M. Velázquez | New York | D | (202) 225-2361 | Go |
| Brandon Williams | New York | R | (202) 225-3701 | Go |
Additional Action: Share/Tweet to Your Representative
Find your US representative below (they are sorted alphabetically) and copy and paste the suggested tweet into your Twitter feed. Note: suggested tweets are modified depending on whether the representative already sponsors or supports citizenship for intercountry adoptees. You can omit the link if you want and add your own image. Some sample images are provided below.
Thank you, @RepBowman, for your sponsorship of #HR1386, which fixes a loophole in federal law denying US citizenship to thousands of intercountry adoptees, including New York constituents. We appreciate your support! https://adopteerightslaw.com/faq-adoptee-citizenship
Thank you, @RepYvetteClarke, for your leadership on #HR1386, which fixes a loophole in federal law denying US citizenship to thousands of intercountry adoptees, including New York constituents. We appreciate your support! https://adopteerightslaw.com/faq-adoptee-citizenship
Rep. D’Esposito (@RepDesposito): thousands of intercountry adoptees, including New York constituents, lack US citizenship today, despite being adopted as children by US citizen parents. Please support #HR1386, which fixes this. https://adopteerightslaw.com/faq-adoptee-citizenship
Rep. Espaillat (@RepEspaillat): thousands of intercountry adoptees, including New York constituents, lack US citizenship today, despite being adopted as children by US citizen parents. Please support #HR1386, which fixes this. https://adopteerightslaw.com/faq-adoptee-citizenship
Rep. Garbarino (@RepGarbarino): thousands of intercountry adoptees, including New York constituents, lack US citizenship today, despite being adopted as children by US citizen parents. Please support #HR1386, which fixes this. https://adopteerightslaw.com/faq-adoptee-citizenship
Rep. Goldman (@RepDanGoldman): thousands of intercountry adoptees, including New York constituents, lack US citizenship today, despite being adopted as children by US citizen parents. Please support #HR1386, which fixes this. https://adopteerightslaw.com/faq-adoptee-citizenship
Rep. Higgins (@RepBrianHiggins): thousands of intercountry adoptees, including New York constituents, lack US citizenship today, despite being adopted as children by US citizen parents. Please support #HR1386, which fixes this. https://adopteerightslaw.com/faq-adoptee-citizenship
Rep. Jeffries (@RepJeffries): thousands of intercountry adoptees, including New York constituents, lack US citizenship today, despite being adopted as children by US citizen parents. Please support #HR1386, which fixes this. https://adopteerightslaw.com/faq-adoptee-citizenship
Rep. LaLota (@RepLaLota): thousands of intercountry adoptees, including New York constituents, lack US citizenship today, despite being adopted as children by US citizen parents. Please support #HR1386, which fixes this. https://adopteerightslaw.com/faq-adoptee-citizenship
Rep. Langworthy (@RepLangworthy): thousands of intercountry adoptees, including New York constituents, lack US citizenship today, despite being adopted as children by US citizen parents. Please support #HR1386, which fixes this. https://adopteerightslaw.com/faq-adoptee-citizenship
Rep. Lawler (@RepMikeLawler): thousands of intercountry adoptees, including New York constituents, lack US citizenship today, despite being adopted as children by US citizen parents. Please support #HR1386, which fixes this. https://adopteerightslaw.com/faq-adoptee-citizenship
Rep. Malliotakis (@RepMalliotakis): thousands of intercountry adoptees, including New York constituents, lack US citizenship today, despite being adopted as children by US citizen parents. Please support #HR1386, which fixes this. https://adopteerightslaw.com/faq-adoptee-citizenship
Rep. Meeks (@RepGregoryMeeks): thousands of intercountry adoptees, including New York constituents, lack US citizenship today, despite being adopted as children by US citizen parents. Please support #HR1386, which fixes this. https://adopteerightslaw.com/faq-adoptee-citizenship
Thank you, @RepGraceMeng, for your sponsorship of #HR1386, which fixes a loophole in federal law denying US citizenship to thousands of intercountry adoptees, including New York constituents. We appreciate your support! https://adopteerightslaw.com/faq-adoptee-citizenship
Rep. Molinaro (@RepMolinaroNY19): thousands of intercountry adoptees, including New York constituents, lack US citizenship today, despite being adopted as children by US citizen parents. Please support #HR1386, which fixes this. https://adopteerightslaw.com/faq-adoptee-citizenship
Rep. Morelle (@RepJoeMorelle): thousands of intercountry adoptees, including New York constituents, lack US citizenship today, despite being adopted as children by US citizen parents. Please support #HR1386, which fixes this. https://adopteerightslaw.com/faq-adoptee-citizenship
Rep. Nadler (@RepJerryNadler): thousands of intercountry adoptees, including New York constituents, lack US citizenship today, despite being adopted as children by US citizen parents. Please support #HR1386, which fixes this. https://adopteerightslaw.com/faq-adoptee-citizenship
Rep. Ocasio-Cortez (@RepAOC): thousands of intercountry adoptees, including New York constituents, lack US citizenship today, despite being adopted as children by US citizen parents. Please support #HR1386, which fixes this. https://adopteerightslaw.com/faq-adoptee-citizenship
Rep. Ryan (@RepPatRyanNY): thousands of intercountry adoptees, including New York constituents, lack US citizenship today, despite being adopted as children by US citizen parents. Please support #HR1386, which fixes this. https://adopteerightslaw.com/faq-adoptee-citizenship
Rep. Santos (@Santos4Congress): thousands of intercountry adoptees, including New York constituents, lack US citizenship today, despite being adopted as children by US citizen parents. Please support #HR1386, which fixes this. https://adopteerightslaw.com/faq-adoptee-citizenship
Rep. Stefanik (@RepStefanik): thousands of intercountry adoptees, including New York constituents, lack US citizenship today, despite being adopted as children by US citizen parents. Please support #HR1386, which fixes this. https://adopteerightslaw.com/faq-adoptee-citizenship
Rep. Tenney (@RepTenney): thousands of intercountry adoptees, including New York constituents, lack US citizenship today, despite being adopted as children by US citizen parents. Please support #HR1386, which fixes this. https://adopteerightslaw.com/faq-adoptee-citizenship
Rep. Tonko (@RepPaulTonko): thousands of intercountry adoptees, including New York constituents, lack US citizenship today, despite being adopted as children by US citizen parents. Please support #HR1386, which fixes this. https://adopteerightslaw.com/faq-adoptee-citizenship
Rep. Torres (@RepRitchie): thousands of intercountry adoptees, including New York constituents, lack US citizenship today, despite being adopted as children by US citizen parents. Please support #HR1386, which fixes this. https://adopteerightslaw.com/faq-adoptee-citizenship
Rep. Velázquez (@NydiaVelazquez): thousands of intercountry adoptees, including New York constituents, lack US citizenship today, despite being adopted as children by US citizen parents. Please support #HR1386, which fixes this. https://adopteerightslaw.com/faq-adoptee-citizenship
Rep. Williams (@RepWilliams): thousands of intercountry adoptees, including New York constituents, lack US citizenship today, despite being adopted as children by US citizen parents. Please support #HR1386, which fixes this. https://adopteerightslaw.com/faq-adoptee-citizenship
