Ross Becker:
Good evening and welcome to the KUSI news at 6:30, I'm Ross Becker in for Allen Denton.
Sandra Moss:
And I'm Sandra Moss.
Thank you for joining us.
Ross Becker:
Eight US sailors are suing a Tokyo utility company for more than $100 million.
They claim the government-owned Tokyo electric power company lied to them about the high
levels of radiation in the area where they were carrying out a humanitarian mission.
The sailors served on the San Diego based aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, which
was ferrying food and water after the Japan's March 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
The sailors say they are now at risk for developing cancer and have a shorter life expectancy
because the utility kept the radiation levels a secret.
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a controversial bill today banning Americans
from adopting Russian children.
The new law creates uncertainty for 46 American families who have already met prospective
adoptees, the state department, which helps facilitate foreign adoptions, hopes Russia
will lift the ban altogether, but in the meantime is working to resolve pending adoptions.
More than 60,000 Russian orphans had been adopted by Americans over the past two decades.
Sandra Moss:
So, what does this mean for parents who are wanting to adopt from Russia or who are almost
finished with their ongoing adoption?
Ross Becker:
Yeah, it certainly is raising a lot of confusion.
Immigration attorney, Jacob Sapochnick, joins us tonight to talk about this and really what
happens next.
On the surface, this seems like punishment.
It really isn't in the best interest of the children, is it?
Jacob:
Absolutely not.
And this is just, by way of background, the Russian passed the Yakovlev Act, and this
is an act that they pass as a result of a death of a child, Dima Yakovlev in the US
and they're saying that a lot of the US parents are abusing their adopted kids.
And as a result, they passed an act banning the adoptions.
Well, we think it's an actual attempt to retaliate against Obama's bill that he passed in December
14, the Magnitsky Bill, and they're banning some Russian officials who are involved in
a theft fraud.
So, we feel that it's a retaliation, by the use of the kids to make a point because they
know that the act itself also bans US citizens coming to the US but they know that if they
use the kids, it's going to create a lot of noise.
And Russia has been a very good country for adoption.
For the last 20 years, more than 60,000 kids, just in the last year, a thousand.
And so, we feel that it's going to be a major impact on what's going to happen with the
kids.
We don't know yet what's going to happen to the pending cases.
We're waiting for some guidance, but it's a major blow.
It's a blow.
Sandra Moss:
Really heartbreaking to the families involved here because many of these kids, that are
adopted from Russia are not in good shape.
They're disabled, they've got mental problems.
And yet, there are families here in the United States who are willing to bring them to our
country and to care for them and have them live the best life they can.
Jacob:
Absolutely.
And the amount of orphans in Russia is absolutely horrendous.
So, by having US citizen parents who are willing to take them is going to be a very major,
major blow to the whole adoption process.
Ross Becker:
So, is this done now since the Russians have passed this and that Putin has signed it,
is there no way to unring this bell and someday, maybe get these Russian children with US parents?
Jacob:
Sure.
Well, we feel that this may be just a kind of a heated moment in the Russian politics.
We feel that, hopefully, in the next year or so, there may be some changes.
And in Russia, anything can happen.
So, as time goes on, we feel that there may be some changes with the pressure and they're
going to see that the amount of kids that are not able to be placed with adoptive parents
are going to increase, they may change the regulations over there as well.
But for now, it's very concerning.
Sandra Moss:
And a lot has changed in the world in the last year.
The reelection of President Obama and President Putin, the war in Syria, that both countries
are hoping to end.
There's really a lot at stake here, isn't there?
Jacob:
Exactly.
And then there... to me, it seems like a power game between the US and Russia saying, "Well
now, we're going to stop this.
We know you need this but we're going to say the last word."
And we just feel that why use the kids?
Ross Becker:
Isn't this one of those situations where the President, President Obama could pick up the
phone and call Putin and say, "Why are you doing this?
Why are you using the children as pawns in this?
Let's work this out."
Jacob:
Exactly.
And then hopefully, he will do it.
Because I tell you, in my practice where we work with the parents and we knew a lot of
adoptions and I can see how the process becomes involved when they go visit and they come
back and visit.
One of those parents already went there, saw the child and now they want to start and now
they get this news just before New Year’s Eve.
Imagine the [inaudible].
It's pretty bad.
Sandra Moss:
Well, let's hope that this ends better.
We'll be following this story.
Ross Becker:
Jacob Sapochnick, an immigration attorney.
Appreciate you coming in.
Jacob:
Thank you so much.