After the Biden administration quietly enacted a new vaccine mandate, two American families have become stranded in Bulgaria with their newly adopted children.
For Katie and Joe Harman of Springfield, Missouri, the adoption process began two years ago. The lengthy and tedious procedure included two background checks by the FBI, multiple state-level checks, medical evaluations, and reviews of their home to make sure it was a suitable environment. In the meantime, to help establish a relationship with Elizabeth, the Harmans kept in touch with her through video calls. On Sept. 13, the Bulgarian Ministry of Justice approved the adoption and issued a new birth certificate, making Elizabeth the legal daughter of the Harmans. The Harmans were given a travel date of Oct. 13 to bring her home. However, a day that should have been part of the joyous culmination of the painstaking, two-year process to bring their new daughter home quickly crumbled into chaos.
