Immigration Equality to Join President Obama for Address on Immigration
By Steve Ralls on 07/01/2010 @ 09:17 AM
At 10:45am ET this morning, Immigration Equality will join President Obama for a speech in Washington on comprehensive immigration reform. The President is expected to urge Congress to take action on the issue this year. The White House invited Immigration Equality to join the President, and our policy director, Julie Kruse, will be there as he delivers his remarks this morning. Our supporters can watch live online, beginning at 10:45, by visiting www.whitehouse.gov/live.
Ahead of today’s speech, journalist Chris Geidner notes the inclusion of Immigration Equality on the White House guest list:
President Obama plans to give what the White House is billing as an address regarding the need for comprehensive immigration reform at American University in the District on Thursday morning, July 1. Today, The Wall Street Journal reported that New York City Michael Bloomberg would be among those in attendance.
One of the questions is the extent to which the president will discuss the Uniting American Families Act, which provides family protections for binational couples, and several other legislative immigration issues of concern to some of the LGBT community, from student issues to asylum concerns.
Steve Ralls, communications director for Immigration Equality, sent the following statement to Metro Weekly on Wednesday afternoon regarding Thursday's speech:
Immigration Equality has been invited by the White House to join the President for tomorrow’s remarks. We do not have an advance copy of the President’s speech, but our hope and understanding is that he plans to make speak out strongly in favor of tackling comprehensive immigration reform soon. As the current Congress enters its final months of work, President Obama’s speech can be instrumental in ensuring this issue remains on the radar, and agenda, of lawmakers. Our hope is that President Obama will indeed identify immigration reform as a priority for his Administration, and this Congress, this year.
Immigration Equality, and LGBT immigrants and their families, will be listening closely tomorrow. For the families we work with, time is of the essence. Each day that Congress fails to act, LGBT families move closer to separation, or spend another day in exile.
There are a number of important immigration issues the LGBT community cares about, including issues related to humane detention standards, a path to citizenship for undocumented LGBT people, asylum for those persecuted because of sexual orientation and gender identity, and family unification for binational couples. Our hope is that Congress, spurred by a commitment from the President tomorrow, will work to pass a comprehensive bill that positively addresses those critical issues.
To read full Geidner’s full coverage, click here.
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