Immigration Equality Calls on DHS to Stop Denying Green Cards for LGBT Spouses
By Steve Ralls on 03/09/2011 @ 10:51 AM
In an interview published last night, Immigration Equality executive director Rachel B. Tiven calls on the Department of Homeland Security to stop denying green card applications filed by spouses of LGBT Americans.
“It is imperative that the administration stop breaking up families based on a law that it says is unconstitutional,” Tiven told reporter Andrew Harmon. “We’re calling on the Department of Homeland Security to stop denying green card applications for the spouses of American citizens.”
Representatives Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) – both important leaders on LGBT and immigration issues in Congress – joined Immigration Equality’s call for a halt to deportations involving legally married spouses. New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand also weighed in, telling reporters that, ““The recent news of deportations involving legally married gay and lesbian binational couples is heartbreaking.”
Tiven's call for a halt to green card denials follows the Justice Department's announcement that it believes Section 3 of the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) - which prohibits extending federal rights, including immigration benefits, to married gay couples - is unconstitutional. Last week, Immigration Equality's legal team announced they are preparing a federal court case, on behalf of married lesbian and gay couples, specifically challenging DOMA.
To read the full interview, click here.
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