Individuals in same-sex binational couples are wanted for a study aimed to better understand the experience of being in a same-sex binational relationship. The goal of this study is to learn about the challenges faced by same-sex binational couples through individual interviews. To date, there is no published psychological research about binational same-sex couples. Research is needed in order to inform policy makers, researchers, and clinicians about the impacts of current immigration policies on same-sex binational couples.

If you are part of a same-sex binational couple, you are invited to participate in an online survey. In order to participate you must:

. Be 18 years of age or older

. Be in a same-sex relationship where one partner is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident and the other partner is not

This study has been approved by the University of La Verne’s Institutional Review Board (2013-CAS-12-Nakamura).

Simply click on this link to be forwarded to the survey.

The post A Survey to Explore the Experiences of Same-Sex Binational Couples appeared first on Immigration Equality.

Press Release

June 12, 2013

Contact:  Ameesha Sampat
(202) 347-0002, ext. 199  / asampat@immigrationequality.org

The Immigration Justice Clinic at Cardozo School of Law and Immigration Equality and Pride Law Fund announced that recent Cardozo graduate Michelle Gonzalez is the winner of the first Kathryn O. Greenberg Immigration Justice Clinic Community Fellowship. Gonzalez will Join Immigration Equality, the country’s premiere legal aid and advocacy organization working on behalf of LGBT immigrants and their families, for an 18 month fellowship.

Ms. Gonzalez, who graduated from Cardozo in May, will serve as a legal fellow at Immigration Equality, where her focus will be on representing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people held in immigration detention, beginning in August 2013.   Ms. Gonzalez was a student in Cardozo’s Immigration Justice Clinic, where she successfully represented a transgender woman in deportation proceedings, preventing her return to Mexico and the prospect of brutal persecution.

“We are thrilled to add Michelle to our legal team,” said Victoria Neilson, the organization’s legal director.  “Every year Immigration Equality’s life-saving direct legal services numbers have increased.   The greatest increase we have seen in direct representation cases is for detained clients, so adding a legal fellow to focus on direct representation detention work will greatly expand our capacity to help some of the most vulnerable members of the LGBT community.  Michelle’s experience in the clinic with immigration issues, at Lambda Legal on LGBT issues, and interest in detention issues makes her a perfect fit for Immigration Equality.”

“I’m excited to begin my legal career serving my community with Immigration Equality,” said Ms. Gonzalez. “It is a natural fit following the experience I gained in Cardozo’s clinics. I am honored to be the first recipient of the Kathryn O. Greenberg Immigration Justice Clinic Community Fellowship,” she added.

The Fellowship was funded by the generous support of the JPB Foundation.

The Kathryn O. Greenberg Immigration Justice Clinic has made national headlines for its advocacy work in immigration reform since its inception five years ago. The clinic responds to the vital need today for quality legal representation for indigent immigrants facing deportation, while also providing students with invaluable hands-on lawyering experience. Students in the clinic represent immigrants facing deportation before federal immigration authorities and in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and represent immigrant community-based organizations on litigation and advocacy projects.  www.cardozo@yu.edu

The post Michelle Gonzalez to Join Immigration Equality Legal Team appeared first on Immigration Equality.

Individuals in same-sex binational couples are wanted for a study aimed to better understand the experience of being in a same-sex binational relationship. The goal of this study is to learn about the challenges faced by same-sex binational couples through individual interviews. To date, there is no published psychological research about binational same-sex couples. Research is needed in order to inform policy makers, researchers, and clinicians about the impacts of current immigration policies on same-sex binational couples.

If you are part of a same-sex binational couple, are no longer living in the U.S., and would like to participate in a 60 – 90 minute confidential interview, please contact me (at nnakamura@laverne.edu) to schedule a telephone interview. A $20 donation will be made to Immigration Equality for each completed interview. Please feel free to forward this invitation to anyone you know who may be interested.

In order to participate you must:

• Be 18 years of age or older

• Be in a same-sex relationship where one partner is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident and the other partner is not

This study has been approved by the University of La Verne’s Institutional Review Board (2012-CAS-15-Nakamura).

The post Understanding the Experiences of Same-Sex Binational Couples appeared first on Immigration Equality.

Contact:  Ameesha Sampat
(202) 347-0002, ext. 199  / asampat@immigrationequality.org

May 29^th Event Will Feature NYC Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg

New York, NY – This evening, Immigration Equality, a national not-for-profit organization, will welcome Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg as the keynote speaker of the organization’s 2013 Safe Haven Awards in New York City on Wednesday, May 29^th. The awards ceremony will honor four elite law firms for their pro bono work on behalf of LGBT immigrants and asylum seekers, and recognize corporate partners Marriott and Intel for their lobbying efforts on behalf of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) immigrant families.

“After the disappointment we experienced last week when Senators failed to stand by LGBT immigrant families and push for their inclusion in immigration reform, we are bruised but not beaten,” said Rachel B. Tiven, executive director of Immigration Equality. “At this year’s Safe Haven Awards, we will celebrate the law firms that have dedicated themselves to providing exceptional legal counsel to asylum seekers, literally saving the lives of people who are fleeing from persecution abroad. We will honor the businesses that have taken a stand on behalf of our families and went to bat for them on Capitol Hill. And we are proud to welcome Mayor Bloomberg, whose twin commitments to LGBT equality and immigration reform have been a hallmark of his years in office.”

Mayor Bloomberg, the 108^th Mayor of New York City, is a nationally recognized leader on critical policy issues, including immigration reform and the freedom to marry. Mayor Bloomberg helped form the Partnership for a New American Economy - a bipartisan coalition of Mayors and CEOs pressing Congress to enact immigration reform. Mayor Bloomberg played a key role in New York State passing marriage equality in 2011.

Immigration Equality will bestow its annual Safe Haven Awards for excellence in pro bono representation for LGBT and HIV-positive asylum seekers and binational families. Chosen from among more than 40 participating firms, this year’s honorees are:

Latham & Watkins LLP

Latham & Watkins expanded its pro bono partnership with Immigration Equality in 2012 by taking on six new cases and splitting its growing caseload between offices in New York and California. Latham’s 15 years of experience representing asylum seekers enables the firm to take on more challenging cases, as in the representation of a gay, HIV-positive man from Peru and a transgender woman from El Salvador, both of whom had missed the one-year filing deadline, and were ultimately granted asylum.

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP

In 2012, Paul, Weiss not only took on six new asylum matters, but served as pro bono counsel in Blesch v. Holder, Immigration Equality’s landmark impact litigation case challenging the Defense of Marriage Act on behalf of five lesbian and gay immigrant couples. This is the first time that Immigration Equality will honor a law firm specifically for its binational couples legal work.

Ropes & Gray LLP

With 22 new cases, Ropes & Gray opened the greatest number of new matters for the second year in a row. With over 90 attorneys working on new or ongoing cases, Ropes & Gray’s asylum docket spans the Globe from Central and South America to the Caribbean, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.

Skadden LLP

Skadden has again shown itself to be one of Immigration Equality’s most committed partners in LGBT asylum work, maintaining a vibrant LGBT asylum practice that includes challenging affirmative and defensive matters. Skadden continues to take difficult cases and train new attorneys in asylum law, and in 2012 alone took on eight new asylum matters for LGBT applicants from Georgia, Jamaica, Mauritania, Mexico, Russia, and Ukraine.

“These four firms have distinguished themselves by going above and beyond in their commitment to asylum seekers and immigrant families, working tirelessly on cases that save lives and battle federal discrimination,” said Tiven. “The past year has been a landmark one for our binational couples program, and we are excited to recognize that work as well.  Thanks to the leadership of these partners, we are winning real change that impacts real lives.”

Immigration Equality will also honor two corporations who have been key partners in Immigration Equality Action Fund’s lobbying to end discrimination against LGBT binational families.

Intel Corporation was the first company ever to stand up for LGBT families in immigration reform. In 2003 they wrote a letter of support for a bill called the Permanent Partners Immigration Act, now called the Uniting American Families Act. In the decade since, Intel helped found the Business Coalition for the Uniting American Families Act, and has lobbied more federal lawmakers about UAFA than any other member of the Coalition.

Marriott International has gone above and beyond in its support for binational families, reaching out to lawmakers individually to make the case that successful, international companies need protections for binational families in order to run their business effectively. Along with Intel, Marriot co-authored a letter to the editor of Politico criticizing the newspaper’s failure to recognize the broad and fervent support of the business community for LGBT inclusion. Together they have asked members of both parties to support the Uniting American Families Act, and have helped make UAFA a bipartisan bill in both the House and the Senate.

The Safe Haven Awards will be held on Wednesday, May 29^th at the AXA Equitable Center in Manhattan. To purchase tickets, visit www.ImEqActionFund.org/SafeHaven.  Reporters interested in attending should contact Ameesha Sampat, at asampat@immigrationequality.org.

# # #

Immigration Equality is a national organization fighting for equality under U.S. immigration law for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and HIV-positive individuals.

The post Immigration Equality Announces 2013 Safe Haven Award Winners appeared first on Immigration Equality.

This week in Florida, I marched with Latino LGBT immigrants to raise my voice for all our families, and express the heartbreak we feel right now. I wasn’t alone: my mom and a group of other DREAMers’ moms stood with us. It is devastating, baring the details of your life and having those details minimized and ignored. My family is part of the 11 million. My family was also left behind this week.

It’s hard to watch politicians talk about me as if I don’t exist. Not only were our LGBT families painfully left behind, but politicians used my family as an excuse for discrimination. When politicians and pundits talk about the Latino community and the gay community as separate communities, they exclude me. They exclude my family. This false separation hurts our communities.

This false narrative minimizes the hard work that my fellow activists, LGBT DREAMers, have made for common sense immigration reform that will help everyone, the sweat at rallies, the tears in Congressional meetings.

In Miami, I marched with two parents who miss their son terribly. They’ve spent 33 years building a life in Miami. Their son went to high school with Marco Rubio. Their son was forced to move to Thailand with his partner, just because they’re gay. Latino families in Miami, and across the country feel the loss of our family members who cannot share in the American dream simply because of who they love.

For everyone who seeks to overlook us, I raise my voice. I am not invisible. I’m here, with my mom, and we will raise our voices until no one is left behind.

The post Why I March appeared first on Immigration Equality.

We will continue to fight until we win. In the coming days and weeks, our policy team will work with our long-time champion, Senator Leahy, to find the best way forward. If we need to amend the bill on the floor of the Senate, we will work to make that happen. Aside from that strategy, however, there are other opportunities on the horizon.

We have always pushed for equality for lesbian and gay immigrant families on all fronts – legislative, judicial, and executive – and we are continuing to do so.  As most of you know, the Supreme Court will be issuing a decision in United States v. Windsor within the next month; the Supreme Court term ends on June 24, so a decision will be made by the end of the term.  We believe that the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional. The Department of Justice, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, and the First Circuit Court of Appeals, all believe that DOMA is unconstitutional.  But until the Supreme Court issues its decision declaring DOMA unconstitutional, we have continued to fight on every possible front for equality.

Since there seems to be some confusion, I want to clarify:  we believe that a Supreme Court decision which declares DOMA unconstitutional will mean that married lesbian and gay couples can file for green cards.  Married couples should be asked the same two questions that straight married couples are asked now: (1) Was your marriage valid where it was celebrated, meaning, where you got married. And (2) Is it bona fide, meaning roughly, are you really a romantic couple?  We do not believe that couples would need a favorable judicial decision and legislation; we believe that either route would end the discrimination that lesbian and gay immigrant families endure.  We will continue to advocate with the White House and with the immigration agencies to ensure that immediately following a favorable Supreme Court decision, families will get relief.  If there is any delay in implementation, we already have our own DOMA challenge pending on behalf of binational couples, Blesch v. Holder, which has been stayed (put on hold) until there’s a decision in Windsor, and we will immediately seek judicial action on that case.  There are several routes we can take to get to the finish line, and we will continue to pursue every one of them until LGBT families receive equal rights.

The post Fighting On All Fronts appeared first on Immigration Equality.

Contact:  Steve Ralls
(202) 347-7007 / sralls@immigrationequality.org

Lesbian & Gay Immigrant Families Abandoned During Judiciary Committee Immigration Mark-up

Despite Leadership From Chairman Leahy, Democrats Cave To Threats & Bullying By GOP Colleagues

WASHINGTON, DC – Following months of threats and pressure by some Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) announced today he is withholding amendments to the immigration bill that would end discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) immigrant families. In recent weeks, GOP Senators Lindsey Graham, Jeff Flake, Marco Rubio, and John McCain have sought to scapegoat LGBT families, promising to abandon immigration reform entirely if it was amended to include LGBT protections.

“Despite the leadership of Chairman Leahy, Judiciary Committee Democrats have caved to bullying by their Republican colleagues,” said Rachel B. Tiven, executive director of Immigration Equality Action Fund. “There should be shame on both sides of the political aisle today for lawmakers who worked to deny LGBT immigrant families a vote. Despite widespread support from business, labor, faith, Latino and Asian-American advocates, Senators abandoned LGBT families without a vote.”

Senator Chuck Schumer, an architect of the immigration bill, had long promised LGBT constituents that the package would include their families.  “From the beginning we told Senator Schumer that it would only get harder to add LGBT families to the bill,” said Tiven.  “We are disappointed that Senator Schumer and his ‘Gang of 8’ colleagues accepted a false choice between LGBT families and immigration reform, when the truth is that including LGBT families from the outset would have strengthened the bill.”

Republican senators looking for a reason to walk away from the bill scapegoated LGBT families. “Republicans came after LGBT families, and Democrats didn’t stand up,” Tiven said. “Who will be in the GOP’s sights next?”

“Senators have lined up in recent months to proclaim their support for marriage equality and LGBT rights,” Tiven added. “Yet, given the first opportunity to put their vote where their talking point is, they failed. Our families need deeds, not words.”

An estimated 36,000 couples who are raising more than 25,000 children within the United States (and countless others already living in exile) are impacted by the inability to sponsor their spouse or partner for residency under current immigration law. Senator Leahy’s proposed amendments would have allowed all of those families an opportunity to remain permanently together in the United States.

As former Republican Congressman Jim Kolbe of Arizona noted in his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, “Including this provision would place virtually no additional burden on our immigration system.  For those families and their children, however, UAFA’s inclusion in the…bill would make all the difference in the world.”

For more information, visit www.ImmigrationEquality.org and www.ImEqActionFund.org.

# # #

Immigration Equality Action Fund advocates on Capitol Hill for equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and HIV-positive immigrants and their families. To end discrimination in U.S. immigration law, Immigration Equality Action Fund works to pass the Uniting American Families Act and LGBT-inclusive Comprehensive Immigration Reform. The Action Fund lobbies legislators and other policy makers, builds coalitions, and empowers LGBT immigrant families around the country to fight for change.

The post Lesbian & Gay Immigrant Families Abandoned During Judiciary Committee Immigration Mark-up appeared first on Immigration Equality.

What does this mean for our families?

This afternoon, Senator Leahy filed two amendments to the Senate immigration bill that help LGBT immigrant families. One amendment is the Uniting American Families Act.  The other amendment is similar and provides the same immigration benefits that our families would receive if DOMA were repealed.

Committee members, any of whom can offer amendments, agreed to file all amendments today to give one another enough time to read and consider the amendments. These amendments were then posted on the Senate Judiciary Committee website for the public to read as well.   Amendments Leahy-6 and Leahy-7 are the amendments for LGBT immigrant families.

As always, we are proud to call Senator Leahy a champion for our families and thank him for filing these amendments that would end discrimination against LGBT immigrant families.

Chairman Leahy and the committee will be deciding daily exactly in which order amendments will be considered.  The decision to offer a specific amendment will likely occur just a day – or more often, just a few hours – before that amendment would come up for a vote!  Thus, we will mobilize our supporters to act immediately as soon as we know that one of these amendments will be offered for a vote.

What’s the bottom line?

Adding an amendment to protect our families in the committee is the best strategy for being included in a Senate immigration bill. As reported in the media, our many champions and friends on the committee are being pressured by some opponents to leave us out. We need to keep asking our friends on the committee to stand firm with us and, when the time comes, to vote for an amendment that supports our families.

What can I do right now?

Three things:

1)      Sign up to be a part of our “emergency call-in team.” The moment UAFA comes up as an amendment in committee, Senators will need to hear from you. As a part of the emergency call-in team, you’ll be the first to know and we’ll let you know exactly how to take action.

2)      Starting Thursday, we’ll be highlighting a different member of the Senate Judiciary Committee every day on our social media. We’ll tell you who to call and what to say. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to keep up with all ten days of the campaign (and other important news!)

3)      If you haven’t already, call your own Senators to ask them to support including LGBT families and UAFA in immigration reform. So far, our supporters have made over 700 calls to the Senate; help us reach our goal of 1,000!

May will be a big month for our families and for the immigration issue as a whole. We will be keeping you up to date on every development, and when we say it’s time to act, it’s truly because it is a critical moment to win. Thank you in advance for taking action at this time when our families need you the most.

The post Senate Judiciary Committee Takes Up Immigration Bill – Leahy files Amendments for LGBT Families appeared first on Immigration Equality.

It was an incredibly surreal experience, since I remember as a youth watching the mega 2006 “A Day without Immigrants” May Day march. In 2006, I was taken by awe when I saw well over a million average, hard-working, individuals (people just like me and my family who were very much still in the shadows) take to the streets across our country to express their solidarity, self-worth and value to our nation. It honestly drove me to tears… the pride I felt for my community and the frustration that I felt for thinking I couldn’t participate because of my fear of raids and deportation. This year was so different. I not only marched, I spoke out to a crowd of thousands! And this time, I saw my full community and my full identity represented. Leaders stood in solidarity not only from the labor/immigrant rights movements but proudly side-by-side with the LGBT and faith community.

Applause rang high as I spoke about the need for our LGBT families’ inclusion in comprehensive immigration reform, an issue so important, personal and dear to my heart. When I challenged our lawmakers to commit to lead on LGBT inclusion, the cheers were overwhelming!

“In a matter of weeks – perhaps, in fact, in a matter of days – Senators will be asked to vote on Uniting American Families Act’s addition to comprehensive immigration reform. We urge members of Congress to vote for including UAFA in comprehensive immigration reform. But more than that, if they say they are our supporters, we have to challenge them to lead on this issue… They must lead!

The Senate’s immigration bill is incomplete, and the Judiciary Committee’s work is not yet done. Senator Schumer, right here in New York, will cast one of the first, critical votes. We will watch, and remember, which lawmakers stood with us, and which stood to the side and stayed silent during the debate on this critical legislation. The Committee Members’ votes, and Senator Schumer’s ability to lead them, will mean the difference between a stable future, or one of uncertainty, separation and exile, for thousands of LGBT couples.”

At that moment, I felt that everyone (thousands in the crowd) understood the urgency of our struggle. They were ready to fight for me as much as I was willing to fight for them. Since the age of 2, I had to face the reality of being a young, undocumented and gay, person of color in American society. Being undocumented and gay is a unique struggle, one that I often found myself feeling on my own, but at that moment I went from my solitary youth to my empowered sense of solidarity.

So, I will continue to work towards the day all those relegated to shadows and closets of our society can have an equal opportunity to make their dreams become a reality. The need for comprehensive immigration reform that’s inclusive of all our families is now. I ask you to build on our momentum and for you to join me in our common struggle for equality.

The post Immigration Equality Stands with Labor and Immigration Groups at May Day Rally appeared first on Immigration Equality.

When the time to vote on an amendment comes, we will probably have just a few hours to mobilize our families and supporters to flood the Senate Judiciary offices with phone calls.

That’s why we need you at the ready. Will you sign up to be a part of our emergency call-in team?

We don’t know exactly when a UAFA amendment could drop. Once committee markup starts, it could happen any day. We’ll be spreading the news far and wide, but as a member of the emergency call-in team, you’ll be the very first to know.

We need you to be ready. Will you join the emergency call-in team?

For more information about this emergency call-in action and what’s ahead in the coming weeks, join our grassroots call on Monday, May 6th at noon Eastern (11 am Central/10 am Mountain/ 9 am Pacific).

Dial (800) 977-8002
(404) 920-6650 (outside the U.S.)
And use access code 4732296#

When the moment comes, we need you ready to act. Please sign up to be a part of this historic action today.

The post This could be it. appeared first on Immigration Equality.