The SAVE America Act remains stalled on the Senate floor after weeks of debate. The conversation has spotlighted the deep divisions shaping our national discourse – not only between parties, but within them. Questions around voting laws, non-citizen issues, and immigration policy are complex, emotional and politically charged. Thoughtful Americans can, and do, disagree on border security, travel restrictions and the path forward.
But amid these debates, one principle should rise above politics: children waiting for permanent, loving families must never become collateral damage of policy decisions.
In January, President Trump signed a travel ban severely restricting or barring entry to the United States from 39 countries. Like many immigration policies, it quickly sparked fierce debate, but one unintended consequence has received far less attention: families in the midst of international adoptions now face new and uncertain hurdles in bringing their adopted children home.
These parents are not pursuing politics; they are simply pursuing their children.
Months later, there is still no lasting resolution in sight.
As executive director of Lifeline Children’s Services, the nation’s largest evangelical adoption agency, I see firsthand the challenges policies like this create. International adoption is already a long and emotionally taxing journey. Families spend years navigating complex paperwork, legal systems, and international regulations – all in pursuit of providing a permanent home for a child in need.
Adding new layers of uncertainty not only complicates the process; it prolongs it, extending the wait for children who already live without the stability and security of a family.
For decades, the international adoption community has looked to the United States as the gold standard for compassion, ethical practice and excellence. That is why the State Department’s continued lack of resolution is especially troubling, as it undermines both confidence in the process and the leadership the U.S. has long represented in caring for vulnerable children.
At the same time, international adoption in the United States has drastically declined. Complex regulations, shifting foreign policy and an unhealthy emphasis on subsidiarity have all contributed to the drop. While supporting families within their home countries is important, it should never be to the detriment of children who truly need permanent families.
Despite these challenges, adoption advocates remain deeply committed to helping vulnerable children thrive. For people of the Christian faith, that commitment is especially meaningful since it is directly linked to our understanding of our adoption in Christ. What is near to God’s heart ought to be near to ours. He clearly communicates His heart for the orphaned and vulnerable populations in both the Old and New Testaments.
We cannot afford to add another barrier to an already laborious process. Not when the future of these precious children hangs in balance.
To be fair, recent guidance affirms that intercountry adoptions are eligible for National Interest Exceptions and should be prioritized on a case-by-case basis. But individualized processing does not resolve the underlying problem. Temporary exceptions that may or may not be offered provide little certainty for families and no meaningful, lasting solution for waiting children.
If we truly want to reduce red tape, streamline government processes, and, most importantly, prioritize the wellbeing of vulnerable children, the solution is clear: the State Department should implement a systemic exemption for IR-3 and IR-4 adoption visas.
Lifeline has worked closely with the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Caucus for years, and we raised this concern with them immediately after the travel ban was announced. Together we have urged the State Department to address the problem, but waiting families and children are still left without a permanent meaningful response. They deserve better from our government.
Americans will continue to debate immigration policy, election integrity, border security and travel restrictions. Those conversations are important and necessary.
While disagreements are inevitable in these conversations, we should not allow children waiting for families to remain stuck in bureaucratic limbo when a simple solution is available.
Fixing this policy won’t end the immigration debate, but it will bring children home and that goal should unite us all.
Every child deserves a permanent, loving family — wherever that family may be. Our call must be to pursue compassion-driven policy that prioritizes permanency over politics. Despite these challenges, let’s recommit ourselves to the truth that transcends every border and political divide: children belong in families. And until every child has one, our work is not finished.
