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Twelve Councilmembers Call on Congress to End Discrimination Against Same-Sex Couples
Washington, D.C. – Last week, Councilmember David Catania (At-Large) introduced a Council resolution in support of the Uniting American Families Act (the “UAFA Legislation”) currently pending in the United States Congress. The UAFA was introduced on February 12, 2009 by Representative Jerrold Nadler (D-NY-8) in the House of Representatives and Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) in the Senate.
The UAFA would “amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to eliminate discrimination in the immigration laws by permitting permanent partners of United States citizens and lawful permanent residents to obtain lawful permanent resident status in the same manner as spouses of citizens and lawful permanent residents and to penalize immigration fraud in connection with permanent partnerships.”
Current U.S. immigration law discriminates against same-sex U.S. citizens and permanent residents by not allowing them to sponsor their foreign-born partners for immigration benefits. This is a right long enjoyed by opposite-sex couples.
“As the country moves to expand the rights of its gay and lesbian citizens, it is important to remove barriers to the enjoyment of these rights,” said Catania. “Same-sex couples where one partner is not a U.S. citizen are currently forced to choose from a range of unpalatable alternatives, including remaining in a costly long-distance international relationship, allowing the foreign-born partner to remain undocumented, or allowing a visa to lapse, which generates daily uncertainty and the fear of deportation.”
The Council resolution was co-introduced by 12 other members of the Council and will be on the agenda of the Council’s June 1, 2010 Legislative Meeting. Upon its passage, a copy of the resolution will be delivered to Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton and the leadership of both Congressional Chambers, including the Vice President of the United States. |
