However. legislative action on these measures was not completed and cumbersome domestic barriers remain which need to be overcome. The numerous cases of unmarried U.S. citizens frustrated by their inability to adopt alien children has convinced me that there is a need to amplify our current laws to allow a greater number of qualified U.S. citizens the opportunity to adopt. Under existing law. section 101(b) (1) (F) of the Immigration and Nationality Act allows only married U.S. citizens. and not unmarried U.S. citizens. the right to petition for immediate relative status for an alien orphan intended to be or already adopted. This distinction in the law has caused much suffering. For example. the American unmarried aunt or uncle. either single. widowed. or divorced. of an alien orphan cannot now obtain immediate relative status for her or his orphaned niece or nephew. Although many States now allow adoption by an unmarried person. this adoption is thwarted by an antiquated immigration policy. Giving unmarried U.S. citizens the same rights as married U.S. citizens does not exempt a prospective parent from meeting the preadoption requirements of a State which must be met prior to approval of the immediate relative petition. The opportunity for increased adoptions would be expanded. but they would continue to be handled on a strict casebycase basis.
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Immigration immigration