The Dept.of Homeland Security ends the Ban on Green Cards for Gay Couples

Talk about fast.

The Department of Homeland Security has ended the green card ban on gay married couples. Secretary Janet Napolitano said:

After last week’s decision by the Supreme Court holding that Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional, President Obama directed federal departments to ensure the decision and its implication for federal benefits for same-sex legally married couples are implemented swiftly and smoothly. To that end, effective immediately, I have directed U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to review immigration visa petitions filed on behalf of a same-sex spouse in the same manner as those filed on behalf of an opposite-sex spouse.

This is really moving fast and forward. So excited to see these walls come down.

Please read the FAQ, it will help you understand the whole process.

Lesbian & Gay Bi-National Couples are eligible for Green Cards

After the death of DOMA, bi-national gay couples got some good news. They will be able to apply for green cards on the behalf of their international partners. That's good, or at least a strong step in the right direction.

Again, these couples will receive immigration benefits, which includes green cards.

With green cards, these couples and families can actually be together. This completely changes the game for married gay and lesbian bi-national couples.

But there's still more to do on this front, but now some of the weight will be lifted.

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There's no G-A-Y in Immigration

The Immigration Reform Bill has many things in it, however it left out something important.

Gay Folks!

An alternative immigration reform bill introduced last week in Congress lacks sought-after language for LGBT families, but advocates of the provision remain optimistic the bill’s sponsor will support inclusion in future legislation.

Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) the guy in the pic above introduced the bill — titled the Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America’s Security & Prosperity Act — in the U.S. House along with more than 90 other Democrats.

Because the legislation would, among other things, offer a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, the measure is seen as a more liberal alternative bill that would set the tone for comprehensive immigration reform legislation next year.

But Gutierrez’s bill lacks a provision that would allow LGBT Americans to sponsor their foreign partners for residency in the United States. Advocates had been pressuring Gutierrez to include such language, which is seen as necessary to stop the U.S. government from keeping apart more than 36,000 LGBT bi-national couples.

Steve Ralls, spokesperson for Immigration Equality, said his organization is disappointed the lawmaker didn’t include this measure in his bill. Still, Ralls noted that he remains optimistic Gutierrez will support the provision in the path toward immigration reform.

“We are extremely disappointed, and we pushed very hard to have our families included, but I do take Congressman Gutierrez at his word that when the issue begins to move early next year that he’s going to stand with us,” he said.

This isn't over, it is a possibility that a provision for LGBT bi-national couples will be added. Let's hope for the best.

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