In yesterday’s blog, I reported that apparently Oscar Berger had decided to support the amendment to the Ortega Bill that would grandfather adoptions in process. Although this bill still has to pass congress, it was a decent thing for the president to do, especially in light of the horrific article his vice president wrote claiming that some children are adopted for their organs. I’ve yet to receive a response to the email I sent Senor Stein. I attached photos of Ella with her family and demanded that he retract his disgusting, riot inducing statement that in essence accuses adoptive parents of being murderers at worst or organ harvesters at best. Shame on him; I’m not letting this go.

Meanwhile the USCIS has come out with a statement warning adoption agencies to stop giving out referrals for Guatemalan adoptions and parents from accepting them. In addition, beginning October 15th, they are going to limit the number of I-600 forms (Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative) for Guatemalan adoptions to one a day per prospective adoptive parent, attorney, or representative, per appointment. Until now they allowed four per day to each of the above representatives.

Although I have spoken out against agencies continuing to give referrals during this time out of fear for the children being left in limbo if their adoptions cannot be completed, in light of the pending amendment to the Ortega Bill grandfathering adoption cases in process, it would seem only fair to help as many children as possible find loving homes in the US before the implementation of the Hague Treaty; a treaty that theoretically is pro-child, birth parents and adoptive parents’ rights, but in actuality often brings adoptions to a screeching halt. One only has to look at the Guatemala’s neighboring countries (Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador and Belize) for evidence.

This decision by the USCIS brings to mind World War II, when only a few Jewish families and children were allowed to enter the US even though the government knew only too well that a holocaust was taking place. Once again, children are the victims of bad politics. I’m sending a letter to the USCIS to remind them what happens when entrance to the US is denied to those in need. Here is their contact information if you’d like to email them as well:

E-Mail comments to USCIS may be made at the following email address:
If you would like to provide feedback on the USCIS.gov website, please email us at uscis.webmaster@dhs.gov. Please note the following:
• Information about specific cases should not be sent to this address, and
• Although every e-mail message will be read within two business days, due to the number of messages, individual responses may not be sent.

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