Bill with Bipartisan Support Would Give Gay and Lesbian Americans with Foreign Spouses Equal Immigration Rights
SAN FRANCISCO – FEBRUARY 4, 2013 – The
Uniting American Families Act (UAFA), legislation that would provide gay and lesbian
Americans with foreign partners equal immigration rights, was introduced today in
the 113th Congress by Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY).
This is the seventh consecutive Congress in
which Nadler has introduced this legislation, which typically garners support
from Democrats, but never enough for the bill to come up for a vote. This time,
however, the bill has two Republican cosponsors, and comes at a critical
juncture with comprehensive immigration reform (CIR) on the table.
“Thousands of committed same-sex couples
are needlessly suffering because of unequal treatment under our immigration
laws,” said Nadler, a long-time champion of same-sex binational couples and
their families. While many of these couples are legally married or partnered,
the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) bars them from receiving federal rights,
such as the ability of an American citizen to sponsor a foreign spouse for a
green card.
Nadler called this current state of
excluding one class of people from equal treatment under the law “an outrage”.
While the constitutionality of DOMA is currently in front of the Supreme Court,
UAFA could neatly fit into immigration reform overhaul and solve a problem that
affects about 40,000 couples – some of whom have been forced to leave the
country or overstay a visa in order to avoid being forcibly separated by the
U.S. government.
Inclusion in CIR, however, is not without
controversy. While President Obama has said that same-sex binational couples
fall under the category of family in his immigration reform proposal, current
Senate framework omits same-sex binational couples. A Senate hearing on the matter is
scheduled for February 13.
Some Republicans have clearly voiced
opposition. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), a member of the so-called “Gang of 8”
senators working on CIR legislation, called including same-sex binationals a
“social issue” that should not be part of the discussion. Senate Majority
Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) stated that he would not tolerate Republicans looking
for excuses like McCain’s to avoid supporting this legislation.
Reintroducing UAFA with bipartisan support
bodes well for the House to support an inclusive CIR bill.
Said Nadler, “Any serious legislative
proposal for comprehensive immigration reform absolutely must include gay and
lesbian couples and their families.”
Out4Immigration, an
all-volunteer grassroots group that works with same-sex binational couples and
their families to empower those affected by immigration discrimination to speak
out, applauded today’s reintroduction of UAFA, its bipartisan support and the
commitment of Rep. Nadler to see this bill become law.
“We hear every day from couples
whose lives are torn apart because the federal government refuses to recognize
their marriage or permanent partnership,” said Amos Lim, Community Outreach
Director for Out4Immigration. “Immigration reform cannot be considered
‘comprehensive’ unless all families are included. All families means just that all families – including those that are
LGBT.”
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For more
information:
Out4Immigration: http://www.out4immigration.org
Uniting American Families Act, LGBT
Immigration Reform, Maintains Bipartisan Support in House: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/05/lgbt-immigration-reform_n_2623557.html
Reid Blasts GOP for Blaming Gays on
Immigration Bill Resistance: http://www.advocate.com/politics/2013/02/03/watch-reid-blast-gop-blaming-gays-immigration-bill-resistance
Out4Immigration blog (featuring stories of
same-sex binationals): http://out4immigration.blogspot.com/
United by Love, Divided by Law (visual
protest by same-sex binational couples separated by U.S. immigration laws): http://unitedbylovedividedbylaw.tumblr.com
Count Me In / Same-Sex Binationals Share
Their Stories: http://bit.ly/O4ICountMeIn
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