Asbury Park, N.J. — After decades of living without a recognized nationality, Karina Ambartsoumian-Clough has finally found a place to call home. In November, she and her husband, Kevin Clough, celebrated a significant milestone by purchasing a charming single-family home in the beachside city of Asbury Park. "I was crying during the closing," she recalls. "Then coming here, I was like, 'Oh my God, I own this.'" This emotional moment marks a turning point in a long and complicated journey that began in the former Soviet Union.
Karina was born in what is now Odesa, Ukraine. In 1996, her parents — her Ukrainian mother and ethnic Armenian father — fled political and religious persecution, bringing her to the U.S. Their failure to register as citizens of Ukraine stemmed from bureaucratic chaos and shifting nationality laws of the time. Unbeknownst to them, they were excluded from registering as citizens due to their status as refugees during the post-Soviet upheaval. As a result, Karina has spent nearly her entire life as a stateless individual, lacking legal recognition from any country.
Despite marrying a U.S. citizen and obtaining lawful permanent residency, the 37-year-old remains classified as stateless. This situation places her among an invisible crisis in the United States, with an estimated 218,000 people facing statelessness or at risk of it, according to the Center for Migration Studies. The UNHCR, the U.N. refugee agency, reported approximately 4.4 million stateless individuals worldwide by the end of 2023.
The landscape for immigrants has become increasingly challenging under the Trump administration, which has implemented aggressive immigration policies. These include revoking naturalized citizens' status and questioning the 14th Amendment's guarantee of birthright citizenship. Such measures risk creating a new class of stateless individuals, making those without citizenship more vulnerable than ever. Laura Bingham, an immigration law expert, expresses concern over the potential for widespread statelessness in response to these policies.
In light of the lack of government support for stateless individuals, Karina co-founded United Stateless, an advocacy group for the stateless community. She notes that at least six members of United Stateless have been detained in recent months, some for over six months, and have faced continuous relocations among various detention centers across the U.S., complicating their situations further.
According to Bingham, the indefinite detention of stateless individuals poses a significant risk, as there is technically no country to return them to. This risk is exacerbated by third-country deportation policies that have seen immigrants sent to nations where they have no ties. Immigration advocates have fought against these policies, unsuccessfully attempting to halt deportations to countries like Djibouti and El Salvador.
Stateless individuals often lack essential identification documents such as passports or birth certificates, which severely restricts their ability to work legally, pursue higher education, access medical care, or travel. This situation forces many into the shadows, living in constant fear of detention or deportation.
For Karina, living as a stateless person has led to years of job insecurity and difficulty accessing basic services. Danah Aracena, another co-founder of United Stateless, shares similar experiences. Both women are determined to build a supportive community for those living with the stigma of statelessness. Their mission resonates with Tanya Furlong, who also sought refuge in the organization.
On a sunny afternoon, the three women gathered in Karina's kitchen, now a symbol of hope, to share their stories of fear, pain, and the shame associated with being stateless. Furlong, who came to the U.S. at age 10, lives with the anxiety of her status and the possibility of detention, having previously endured an 11-month stay in detention.
Danah Aracena's journey began when her family fled Kuwait, where her father, denied citizenship, could not secure a future for his children. After arriving in New York City seeking asylum, their claim was denied, leaving the family in a precarious situation. Aracena emphasizes that her parents aimed to protect their children, unaware of the challenges that lay ahead.
The U.S. has yet to adopt any legal framework to officially recognize stateless individuals, leaving many without a clear path to citizenship. The UNHCR has urged countries to adopt conventions that would safeguard the rights of stateless individuals, but the U.S. has not committed to these measures. In August 2023, USCIS established a policy to recognize stateless individuals, but this was revoked by the Trump administration in June.
In response to the lack of governmental action, United Stateless advocates for the passage of the Stateless Protection Act, which would provide legal avenues for stateless individuals to obtain green cards and access pathways to U.S. citizenship. Despite efforts to reintroduce the bill in Congress, progress remains stagnant.
As Karina, Danah, and Tanya continue to navigate their lives in the U.S., they remain vigilant, aware of the potential for detention and the complexities of their stateless status. Their stories highlight the urgent need for awareness, understanding, and legal protections for the stateless community, as they strive for a future where they can live freely without fear.
