Congressman Honda Speaks Out For Family In His District Working To Stay Together

By Kathryn Baxter on 08/17/2012 @ 09:48 AM

In a new My Family. Together. video, Representative Mike Honda (CA-15) affirms his commitment to “fight for an immigration system that protects families – all families – and makes our nation stronger and more perfect." He tells the story of a married lesbian couple in his district, Judy and Karin, who have been directly affected by discrimination in our country’s immigration policies. Because Judy cannot sponsor her British wife Karen for residency, she chose to take an early retirement from her job and now travels to live in the UK for six months of each year. Karin visits Judy in the US on a tourist visa, but can only stay a short time each visit.

This video is just one action out of many in Representative Honda’s work on behalf of our families. He is the lead sponsor of the Reuniting Families Act, which includes the full text of the Uniting American Families Act, which would allow LGBT Americans to sponsor their partners/spouses for green cards. He also wrote a letter earlier this month (along with Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, UAFA lead sponsor Representative Jerrold Nadler, and 81 other members of Congress) asking the Department of Homeland Security to put a verbal policy into writing that would help prevent deportations and separations of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) partners and spouses.

Immigration Equality thanks Representative Honda for telling Judy and Karin’s story in this video and for all that he continues to do for our families.

Rep. Mike Honda Speaks Out for LGBT Binational Families