Immigration Equality

[Sparkle]

from sfweekly.com

http://blogs.sfweekly.com/thesnitch/...a_could_be.php

[Soon]

Dear J,

I wanted you to be among the first to know. Our legal team is planning to file an historic lawsuit on behalf of our families.

Following the Obama Administration’s recent announcement that it believes the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional — and its refusal to defend that law in court — we are preparing to challenge DOMA in federal court, on behalf of families who face separation because of discriminatory immigration laws.

For the first time, the U.S. government has declared that Section 3 of DOMA, which prohibits married LGBT Americans from sponsoring their spouse, is unconstitutional. The end of that law will mean a new beginning for LGBT Americans married to non-citizens. Immigration Equality is seizing this tremendous new opportunity and is bringing litigation to end the discrimination those families face.

Soon, we’ll be announcing the families who will be part of our suit, and the prestigious pro bono partners who will help us fight in court. We are assembling the very best team to wage this battle and to ensure we have the best possible chance at dismantling DOMA. The Justice Department has taken a major step forward in refusing to defend the law. We intend to cross the finish line and end it once and for all.

All of us at Immigration Equality will continue to fight for our families in Congress, too.

While the end of DOMA would help many families, passage of the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) remains critically important as well. Many states continue to discriminate against LGBT couples through state-level DOMAs. Families in those states still need a legislative victory so they don’t face separation or exile, too. While our work will expand as part of this new court challenge, our commitment to UAFA — and to ending discrimination for all families as quickly as possible — will not waiver.

This is an immensely significant moment for LGBT families, and Immigration Equality is uniquely positioned to take on this fight. With your help, we will succeed and keep our families together.

Look for more news about our lawsuit soon.

Yours in the fight,

Rachel B. Tiven, Esq.
Executive Director

P.S.: For information on how DOMA might impact your family, please visit our FAQ page, online here. And, if you are thinking of getting married, or are already married and thinking of filing papers with Immigration, or have already done so, please contact our legal department. Then, to make a gift in support of our litigation challenging DOMA, visit the Immigration Equality website.

http://www.immigrationequality.org/

[Sparkle]

http://bit.ly/gv2gvk


"This morning, Monica Alcota and Cristina Ojeda, became the first married, same-sex, binational couple to successfully argue that deportation proceedings should be adjourned until their marriage-based immigration case had been fully adjudicated. The Immigrations and Customs Enforcement attorney and the Immigration Judge agreed that the couple should be given an opportunity to fight for a green card on the basis of their marriage and generously adjourned proceedings accordingly."

[Julie]

Originally Posted by Sparkle

http://bit.ly/gv2gvk


"This morning, Monica Alcota and Cristina Ojeda, became the first married, same-sex, binational couple to successfully argue that deportation proceedings should be adjourned until their marriage-based immigration case had been fully adjudicated. The Immigrations and Customs Enforcement attorney and the Immigration Judge agreed that the couple should be given an opportunity to fight for a green card on the basis of their marriage and generously adjourned proceedings accordingly."

I have been watching their story!
This is AMAZING and wonderful news.
So happy for them.

[Soon]

Is this for real!?!?! I am still waiting for an official press release or some information on the Gov't website for Immigration.

http://www.democracynow.org/2011/3/3...me_sex_couples

U.S. to Accept Green Card Bids from Same-Sex Couples

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has announced it will no longer deny green card applications to married, bi-national, same-sex married couples. The decision means bi-national LGBT couples with recognized marriages will now be able to apply for citizenship while Congress decides whether to repeal or modify the Defense of Marriage Act.

[Soon]

U.S. immigration service will no longer accept green card applications from bi-national same sex couples

http://www.darkpolitricks.com/2011/0...e-sex-couples/

A victory scored by married bi-national same sex couples this week turned out to be only temporary.

After only one day, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said it would no longer accept green card applications from gays and lesbians with spouses from abroad.

“The guidance we were awaiting… was received last night, so the hold is over, so we’re back to adjudicating cases as we always have,” Christopher Bentley, a USCIS spokesman, told Metro Weekly.

The Obama administration announced last month that it would no longer defend the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in court.



The administration said, however, that the law would continue to be enforced until Congress decided to repeal or modify it.

When asked if USCIS would also continue to deny green card applications to bi-national same sex couples, Bentley said, “Correct, based on the enforcement of DOMA.”

Steve Ralls, director of communications for Immigration Equality, told Raw Story that the USCIS decision was disappointing.

“Our government should be in the business of keeping families together, not tearing them apart,” he said. “The Department of Justice has said it believes DOMA is unconstitutional. Immigration Equality agrees, and we believe it is inappropriate to use that unconstitutional law to separate American citizens from their loved ones.”

“We reiterate our call for the Administration to respect our families and halt the denial of green card applications,” Ralls added. “At the very least, DHS should wait for the courts to settle DOMA‘s constitutionality before removing spouses who would immediately benefit if the law is struck down.”

Last week Immigration Judge Terry A. Bain gave hope to bi-national same sex couples when he halted deportation proceedings against Monica Alcota, a citizen of Argentina, while her wife, Cristina Ojeda, moves forward with a green card petition on her behalf.

[Soon]

http://immigrationequalityactionfund...ng_the_course/