The Protect Adoptees and American Families Act (PAAF Act) aims to provide automatic United States citizenship for certain internationally adopted individuals. It amends Section 320(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act to clarify that automatic citizenship applies to adopted children who meet specific requirements, irrespective of when their adoption was finalized. This ensures that more adopted children can benefit from automatic citizenship provisions. The bill establishes specific pathways for individuals who did not previously acquire citizenship, addressing two main groups. For those currently residing in the U.S., automatic citizenship is granted if they were adopted by a U.S. citizen parent before age 18, were physically present in the U.S. in legal custody before age 18 via lawful admission, and never acquired citizenship before this Act's enactment. They must also have been residing in the U.S. on the date of the Act's enactment pursuant to a lawful admission. For eligible adoptees residing outside the U.S., citizenship becomes automatic upon their lawful admission to the country, provided they meet similar adoption and prior U.S. presence criteria. Notably, the bill specifies that the usual grounds of inadmissibility under Section 212(a) shall not apply to these individuals seeking admission, significantly easing their entry. However, a criminal background check is mandated for visa issuance, and any unresolved criminal activity must be addressed through coordination between the Department of Homeland Security, Department of State, and relevant law enforcement agencies to ensure public safety.