Approximately 30 individuals dressed in black gathered on the grounds of Holt International’s Eugene headquarters on Friday, July 24. The group carried a paper coffin and cardboard headstones marked with "RIP Holt" to symbolize their demand for the total abolition of international adoption.
Participants chanted slogans such as "Stop selling babies" and "Children are not for sale." Benjamin Lundberg Torres Sánchez addressed the crowd through a bullhorn, stating that the group viewed the industry as dying because they believe adoption and foster care are unnecessary when families and communities require direct resources.
Whitney Handrich, 38, spoke about her experience being adopted from Korea as an infant. She noted that while the protest marked a funeral for Holt, it also honored the funerals she missed and the family members she has not been able to commemorate or share memories with.
Holt International is a private nonprofit Christian agency founded in the 1950s by Harry and Bertha Holt of Creswell. The couple lobbied for legislation that allowed them to adopt eight Korean children in 1955, helping to pioneer international adoption practices.
Susan Soonkeum Cox, vice president of policy and external affairs at Holt International, responded to the protest in an email. She stated that the organization has been dedicated to serving children and families since 1956 and affirmed its commitment to broader child welfare programs for communities.
Cox clarified that Holt International in the United States and Holt Children’s Services in Korea are separate entities. The Korean branch became independent from the U.S. organization in 1977. Holt Children’s Services of Korea has faced recent lawsuits from birth parents alleging fraud in how adoptions were handled following the Korean War.
