Don Bacon (NE-02), Aaron Bean (TX-36), Donald Beyer (VA-08), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Mike Carey (OH-15), André Carson (IN-07), Troy Carter (LA-02), Lori Chavez-DeRemer (OR-05), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Gerald Connolly (VA-11), J.

Such action would allow established prospective adoptive parents who had completed a background security check, were formally in the process of adopting an orphaned child from Ukraine, and had a documented relationship with that child to initiate a case with DHS and sponsor the parole of that child. The Members requested the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of State establish a similar program, in consultation with the Ukrainian government, to the program created in the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. These families represent the highest values of our country, and we ask that you support them by establishing a humanitarian parole policy for certain Ukrainian orphans.” “Our constituents respect the international adoption process, and wish to offer an unequivocally temporary reprieve to children they view as members of their own families. “As members of Congress we have heard extensively from our constituents about their desire to support their prospective adoptive children during this historic crisis,” the members wrote.

families were evacuated to shelters across Europe as a temporary reprieve from the dangers of the war. Children who had developed a relationship with their U.S. Following Russia’s invasion, the Ukrainian government suspended its international adoption programs, leaving families unable to complete the adoption process. The international adoption process takes several years and typically involves extensive vetting of potential parents by both U.S. A humanitarian parole policy for certain Ukrainian orphans would provide these children respite in the United States for the duration of the war while maintaining Ukrainian sovereignty in matters of international adoption.Īt the time of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, approximately 200 families in the United States were engaged in the process to adopt a child from Ukraine. family at the time of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Monterey, CA – United States Representatives Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) and Joe Morelle (NY-25) authored and led a bipartisan letter with 96 Members of Congress urge the Biden Administration to create a humanitarian program for the estimated 300 Ukrainian orphans who were involved in an adoption process with a U.S.

The aftermath by jen alexander