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American Morning

INS Holds Up Adoptions For Fear of Human Trafficking

Aired April 24, 2002 - 09:54   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: We are going to turn now to the story of some American couples who are running into a brick wall in trying to adopt Cambodian children. And the brick wall is the U.S. Immigration Service. The INS says it is acting out of concern that the babies were not really orphans, but in fact stolen, and it has banned any new Cambodian adoptions. The move has put hundreds of Cambodian children in limbo, and left very many American families heartbroken.

CNN's Kathleen Koch has one family's story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DONNA SHERON, POTENTIAL ADOPTER: When we saw his picture, that was it. We knew we wanted to adopt him.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Donna and Dan Sheron didn't think twice, and when Donna went to visit him last month, she was more certain than ever that the 3-year-old Cambodian boy named Sunny (ph) should be part of their family.

SHERON: We bonded. I was only there a week, and at the end, he would run up to me and lay his head on my lap.

KOCH: They had already adopted little Danny (ph) from China, but the visit was bittersweet. In December, the INS had blocked the Sherons and other American parents from adopting Cambodian children, after reports of babies being stolen and sold. Now, Sunny and hundreds of other children waiting in stark orphanages are caught in the middle, and his health is suffering.

DAN SHERON, POTENTIAL ADOPTER: An ear infection -- he has a problem, he needs a small operation, and he's got worms. Basically, the kid is deteriorating, every day that we wait, his health gets a little worse.

KOCH (on camera): I can see a lot of people being in your position, finding out all these problems when you are there, and then walking away, just saying I can't deal with this.

DAN SHERON: I would have to address that with, after you see what the problems are, then you can't walk away.

SEN. MARY LANDRIEU (D), LOUISIANA: Her eardrums have ruptured. She has large holes in each ear from chronic infections. KOCH (voice-over): Senator Mary Landrieu, who has adopted two children, is leading a coalition of senators pushing the INS to lift the adoption suspension.

LANDRIEU: Some of these children may not live. This is a life- and-death matter.

KOCH: In a statement, the INS says it is -- quote -- "concerned about the health and welfare of the children, but also has the moral and legal responsibility to ensure the children are not victims of human trafficking." The Sherons insist documentation proves Sunny is an orphan, and they are desperate to get the INS to allow adoptions to resume, before it is too late.

DAN SHERON: Look at each child. You've got the staff, you've got the smart people, you've got the people with the wisdom. Use it. Don't stop.

KOCH: Meanwhile, Sunny waits.

Kathleen Koch, CNN, Washington.

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