Democrats Push Legislation To Secure Immigration Rights For Same Sex Couples

WASHINGTON -- House Democrats on Thursday re-introduced the Uniting American Families Act, legislation that would grant same-sex couples the same residency rights currently enjoyed by heterosexual couples under U.S. immigration law.

"Today thousands of committed same-sex couples are needlessly suffering because of unequal treatment under our immigration laws, and this is an outrage," said Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution. "Our Constitution guarantees that no class of people will be singled out for differential treatment -- and LGBT Americans should not and must not be excluded from that guarantee."

Under current law, one member of a married couple may sponsor their partner for U.S. citizenship, but same-sex couples have no such rights, and are often forced to live thousands of miles apart.

"It's cruel," said Nadler of the current policy. "It's gratuitously cruel."

Nadler was joined Thursday by the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), as well as by Reps. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Jared Polis (D-Colo.), Mike Honda (D-Calif.), Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) and Jackie Speier (D-Calif.), among others.

"It's appalling that the United States government forces families to separate," Lofgren told reporters on Capitol Hill Thursday. "As a nation, we should be encouraging the cohesion of American families, not forcing the deportation of partners and parents."

While Nadler, who has been working on the issue for over a decade, admitted the bill is unlikely to pass the Republican-led House, he emphasized re-introducing it was still important.

"I think that recognition of same-sex marriage will come in this country,” he told The Washington Post's Felicia Sonmez. “The question is, would this come first?”

The re-introduction of UAFA comes less than two months after Democrats renewed their effort to overturn the federal same-sex marriage ban through congressional action, following the Obama administration's drop of legal support for the Defense of Marriage Act on the grounds that it was unconstitutional.

Lofgren, for her part, says she's confident that one day DOMA will not be the rule of the land, but added that changing the law takes time -- and that that's something an estimated 36,000 same-sex couples who would be affected by UAFA do not have.

"If DOMA is so unconstitutional that it can't be defended in court, then don't use it to separate families under the immigration law," Lofgren said.

Still, the outlook for the legislation isn't good. The bill currently has 100 co-sponsors, none of them Republican.

Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) introduced similar legislation Thursday in the Senate.

Comments

[Lucy Watson]

06:22 PM on 04/15/2011

What about the DREAM act!?? This to me is a much more urgent priority. We can focus on the Uniting American Families Act after we deal with all the people who were brought to U.S as babies and are now adults, like me, and are completely screwed! We have no rights even though we grew up here, went to elementary school, middle school and high school here, what about us?? There are people getting deported back to countries that they have never even been to, some don't even speak the language!! This is a huge issue!! Foreigners can just come over here from anywhere, get married and BOOM they're legal! I know at least 20 ppl who have gotten married ONLY for a greencard!! Our immigration policies are completely messed up and there are many other things we need to focus on. Yes, I believe gay's should have the same rights as everyone else but now your talking about immigration rights which is a whole different story...

[voyager48]

05:26 PM on 04/16/2011

Good one - ignore citizens & help the rest of the world first!

Confused does not even begin to describe this rant "Yes I believe in gay rights .... but this is an immigration issue"?????????

[Lucy Watson]

06:23 PM on 04/16/2011

sorry your confused. i just believe that if you have been living in the u.s since you were an infant you should be able to become a resident before someone who came here illegally as an adult and now want's to get legal through marriage. it's pretty simple.

[mashtoe]

02:56 AM on 04/15/2011

Wow, this is a two for one deal. Democrats appease social issues liberals and import more labor to drive down wages to appease corporate donors. Awesome.

[oblogdeeoblogda]

12:41 AM on 04/15/2011

http://lezgetreal.com/2011/04/uafa-reintroduction-is-counter-productive-to-same-sex-couples-seeking-green-cards/ Congressional advocates for LGBT immigration launched ridiculous strategy Thursday with reintroduction of the UAFAt.
It makes no sense to me and is a derivative of the Immigration Equality lobby and quest for survival of the organization.
1. They already had UAFA caste for success back in 2009 – with a record number of co-sponsors and a majority in both houses. BUT they tied UAFA to comprehensive immigration reform spent donor money on schmoozing Latina groups and landed in the lame duck session for the DREAM ACT – to exclude UAFA from its only chance as a stand alone Bill;

2. Now the climate is different – while DADT has passed and DOMA is up for repeal – why are we wasting time with UAFA- when in fact DOMA will accomplish much more. We do not need UAFA if DOMA is repealed.

organizations should rather lobby for special interim Visas for Binational couples . Visas, similar to the R1 Visa Program and Fiance Visas worded differently to use terms like contractual nexus instead of marriage.

I have no doubt unfortunately – that all the gay.in organizations are going to do follow the Pied Piper again and assume that the immigration equality lobby knows what they are doing. It is up to binational couples to YELL reintroduction of UAFA is not good enough, hopeless and a waste of time. Melanie Nathan, Editor LezGetReal

[Just Bob]

11:57 PM on 04/14/2011

The Democrats are their worst enemy. The American people want affordable health care, jobs, a secure retirement and the end of p*ssing away taxpayers' money on all these senseless wars. They don't want to help illegal immigrants and support more immigration of gays. If Obama would focus on what the American people want, the Republicans had a much harder stand derailing the Democrats

[geckorun]

12:28 AM on 04/15/2011

By that theory no immigraiton of partners in hetrosexual relationships shouldnt be allowed either.

[geckorun]

12:30 AM on 04/15/2011

Lets try that with less typos' By that theory immigratio­n of partners in hetrosexua­l relationsh­ips to a US citizen should not be allowed either.

[Bob Kellerman]

01:03 AM on 04/15/2011

OK GOT IT

Obama should ignore freedom and fairness until you are happy -- of course that might make this Venezuela, not the USA

[48marriedwhitemalewkids]

11:30 PM on 04/14/2011

Where will it end - the government providing healthcare for my dog

[geckorun]

11:44 PM on 04/14/2011

O of course because thats a rational argument. If you do not like equal rights of human rights perhaps you would like to forfeit yours?

[geckorun]

11:51 PM on 04/14/2011

'Or' human rights not of. Bad typing there

[jbdrs]

11:47 PM on 04/14/2011

Please explain how providing healthcare to dogs is related to treating humans equally under the law. Never mind.............................

[Mike Nugent]

11:11 PM on 04/14/2011

Even though I appreciate the Congressman bringing this issue forward, its really just window dressing. The Democrats had ample opportunity to bring bills such as this forward while in control of the house/Senate. To do it now seems like its just grandstanding since it has zero chance of even getting out of the house. That being said, its important that discriminatory issues such as this are brought to the attention of the public at large.

[mauibob]

10:49 PM on 04/14/2011

Wheres the headlines for the suit brought by a gay against jesse jackson? Its a headline on drudge.

[jbdrs]

11:12 PM on 04/14/2011

Yeah, because drudge never ignores negative stories about republicans.

[jbdrs]

11:15 PM on 04/14/2011

And, here's the stroy on HP

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/14/gay-man-claims-he-was-wro_n_849439.html

[brokerallen]

10:02 PM on 04/14/2011

I would be fine with it but it's wrong to force it down the throats of people who have a different
conviction. Respect works both ways.

[Hamish Campbell]

10:15 PM on 04/14/2011

Forced down throats' how exactly? By asking to be treated the same? So what your saying as long as people keep their mouth shut eventually one day they will be given the privilege of being treated equally when "those" of other convictions are good and ready. I'm sure that has worked for a lot of people and groups that have been discriminated against...... I'm just not sure who or where.....The same could be said of many of conservative views that maybe they shouldn't force it down peoples throats, but wait no they would argue it is their right to have their voices hear so it wouldn't happen.

[Flip75]

10:53 PM on 04/14/2011

Sadly, you'd say the same of the 1960s civil rights movements - all those actions forcing racial equality down your throat.

[Mplsuptown]

09:22 PM on 04/14/2011

No Republicans? Really. Hmm I thought they were all for families and less governement intervention. Oh yea only their kind of families

[CLamb]

09:22 PM on 04/14/2011

What does it matter if immigration laws are rarely enforced? Before we can even think about changing the immigration laws we must figure out how to administer those we already have. The courts, administration, and law enforcement are years behind in work.

[billhodges]

07:37 PM on 04/14/2011

I wonder if Jesse Jackson will support this bill after:

Jackson Subject of Gay Harassment Complaint

http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/jackson-push-bennett-lawsuit-119861339.html

[mauibob]

10:51 PM on 04/14/2011

Typical liberal reporting. ignore it and hope nobody notices. If it was Glen Beck?

[Seven Teenatheart]

07:20 PM on 04/14/2011

Wouldn't it be nice if all adults were afforded the same protections under the law?
To marry, to have their marriages treated equally (as they should be).

You know - basic, decent treatment....

[HarleyOpenRoad]

07:15 PM on 04/14/2011

One day gay persons will have complete equality and acceptance in society and their issues will be ignored by politicians just like the rest of us.

[Contact1972]

07:16 PM on 04/14/2011

Cannot happen fast enough!

[FEngels]

07:15 PM on 04/14/2011

Why not just take the same tactic as overturning DOMA; take it to court?

[cowb222]

07:25 PM on 04/14/2011

The organization called Immigration Equality is preparing for that already. Also, there are many cases related to this issue are lining up in the immigration court already.

[benchy]

07:06 PM on 04/14/2011

The US is so behind in this matter that it is shameful. Most of western Europe, Australia, NZ, even South Africa have made changes to the law to do the right thing, but as long as you have the christian right pushing their so called "moral agenda", we lose on the real agenda which is to make all americans equal under the law. Why I chose to live abroad and will continue to do so. England recognised me as a human being a lot quicker than my own country did.