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.

Earlier today, former Congressman Jim Kolbe (R-AZ) testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee in favor of adding LGBT families to the Senate’s comprehensive immigration reform bill. Congressman Kolbe (shown hear with Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy of Vermont), himself part of a binational relationship, talked about the struggles he and his partner, Hector Alfonso, faced in navigating the immigration system.

Here is Congressman Kolbe’s full testimony, as submitted to the Committee:

Chairman Leahy and Members of the Committee:

Thank you for inviting me to testify before you today on behalf of the Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013.   As you may know, I had the privilege of serving in the United States Congress from 1985 until 2007, representing Arizona’s 5^th and 8^th Congressional Districts.  Immigration is an issue that has always been in the forefront in this border district, with a large and vibrant immigrant community and all the strains on law enforcement and social services that accompany illegal immigration.   At one point less than a decade ago, nearly half of all apprehensions of illegal immigrants in the entire country were occurring in this single congressional district.

I applaud the senators in the so-called “Gang of Eight”, and especially Senator Flake from my home state of Arizona, who spent many months preparing this legislation.  I am hopeful that this Committee will engage in a bipartisan effort to fix our country’s broken immigration system with legislation that offers meaningful solutions.  The      bill currently before the Committee is an excellent start that offers many positive provisions to help U.S. businesses, our immigrant population, and our country as a whole.   Others on this panel will discuss various economic considerations, but I want to talk about one particular provision—completing family unification.

I know first-hand from my days of representing my district in Arizona that immigration laws impact all of our lives.  I also know, as the partner of a Panamanian immigrant, how especially difficult it can be to build a life and protect your family, under our current, cumbersome system.  While the bill you are considering is an excellent starting point for reform, I submit to you that it is still incomplete.  Families like mine are left behind as part of this proposal.  Equally important, U.S. businesses and our economy suffer because of the omission of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) families from the bill introduced last week.

Eight years ago, I met my partner and future husband, Hector Alfonso.  Hector was born in Panama, and came to the Unites States on a Fulbright Scholarship to pursue graduate studies in special education.  He has been a dedicated teacher for almost two decades.  The schools where he taught, however, could not sponsor him for a green card, and I couldn’t either.  Despite being in a committed relationship and despite the fact that he remained in lawful status every day he had been here, Hector was forced to return to Panama when his work visa expired.  Our twelve month separation—like that of any American from their spouse—was painful.  Hector returned to Panama while he applied for another visa.  Eventually, we accomplished this, but it was a long process and it was expensive—far beyond the reach of most families.  Our laws should not separate American citizens from their loved ones for such unacceptably long periods of time.

On May 18^th—just a month from now—Hector and I will legally marry here in the District of Columbia, surrounded by family and friends.  We are immensely fortunate that Hector has now secured an investment visa that allows him to remain here with me.  Many other couples, however, are not as fortunate.  Even if they, like us, have a marriage, civil union or life-long commitment to each other, their ability to secure a permanent solution that would allow them to build a home, family or business together is elusive and difficult to realize.  It shouldn’t be that way, and this Committee has an opportunity to fix this problem.

The Uniting American Families Act (UAFA)—legislation sponsored by Chairman Leahy and Senator Collins—would make a profound difference in the lives of many Americans and their families.  By amending our immigration laws to treat lesbian and gay families as our nation treats other immigrant families, UAFA would ensure American citizens are not torn apart from their loved ones, or forced in to exile abroad.  The Williams Institute at the University of California estimates that some 36,000 couples who are raising more than 25,000 children, would be given the permanence they need to protect their families and build a life here in this country.  It is a small number overall.  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 committee b ill would make all the difference in the world.

The comprehensive immigration reform bill now under consideration by this Committee includes important provisions to make U.S. businesses more competitive.  The UAFA does the same, which is why it is supported by Fortune 500 companies like Intel, Marriott, Texas Instruments and US Airways, who have called on lawmakers of both parties to support its passage.  The failure to recognize lesbian and gay families in our immigration laws has a direct impact on American business.

A survey last year by the American Council on International Personnel (ACIP) found that ten percent of their member organizations have lost valuable employees who were forced to leave the United States because the employee’s spouse or partner had no ability to remain in the country.  An additional forty-two percent reported missing out on a significant recruiting opportunity because a job candidate was unable to bring their partner to the U.S. with them.  Meanwhile, six of America’s top ten trading partners, as well as sixty-five percent of the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) member countries, recognize lesbian and gay couples for immigration purposes.  That puts those countries at a distinct competitive advantage over the United States.

In a letter last month to the eight Senators who authored the Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act, a coalition of 28 of our country’s most prominent companies wrote:

“We have each worked to help American employees whose families are split apart because they cannot sponsor their committed, permanent partners for immigration benefits.  We have lost productivity when those families are separated; we have borne the costs of transferring and retraining talented employees to they may live abroad with their loved ones; and we have missed opportunities to bring the best and the brightest to the United States when their sexual orientation means they cannot bring their family with them.”

It isn’t just major corporations that lose out; small business owners are also suffering.  In Columbia, South Carolina, a restaurant owner with 25 employees recently made the difficult decision to close his business in order to move so he could be with his partner.  In Los Angeles, a young entrepreneur who employed 30 U.S. workers shut his doors after his Canadian partner’s visa expired and they were forced into exile.  These are stories that should give us all pause, and cause us to reflect on the price to both American businesses and American families when we choose to leave some of our fellow citizens out of a reform to our immigration laws.

Prior to serving as a Member of Congress, I also had the privilege to serve our country as a member of the United States Navy, including a year’s tour in Vietnam on small boats alongside now-Secretary of State, John Kerry.  Both my service in our armed forces, and in the U.S. Congress has reinforced my strong belief that America is unique among the nations of the world in its dedication to equality, liberty and justice for all.  Our country is changing and our laws must change with it in order to protect all American citizens and their families, and to strengthen our position in an increasingly competitive, global economy.  The immigration reform bill currently before this Committee is a step in the right direction, and I commend the Committee for taking up the difficult task of immigration reform.  It can be made better, however, by including American citizens like me, and American businesses—like the 28 who recently wrote many on this Committee—who need your vote for this important addition of the Uniting American Families act to the bill now before you.

It is time, Chairman Leahy and members of the Committee, to fix our immigration laws.  The opportunity is too rare, and the positive impact too great to leave anyone behind.   Adding UAFA to the committee bill would be a big step toward making it truly comprehensive.

Thank you.

The post Read Congressman Kolbe’s Testimony in Support of Inclusive Immigration Reform appeared first on Immigration Equality.

Following introduction of the Senate’s comprehensive immigration reform proposal, allies from the LGBT and immigrant communities have added their voices to those calling for the inclusion of our families in a final bill.

In the coming weeks, the Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to vote on the addition of the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) – a measure to end discrimination against LGBT binational couples – to the legislation.

Here’s what some of our allies are saying:

“Reforming immigration will protect millions of immigrants seeking a decent life and make our country stronger. But those who dismiss the needs of LGBT families and suggest that we can only protect some, but not all people are not being true to deeply held American values of fairness.” – Kevin Cathcart, Executive Director of Lambda Legal

“Although we’re disappointed that the bill does not include a provision that would allow binational same-sex families to petition to stay together in the United States, the Senate’s proposal includes many features that will have a positive impact on the LGBT community.  For example, it eliminates the one year filing deadline, broadens the notion of custody so that individuals can apply for protection while under government supervision, and improves legal access programs to ensure that detainees will understand their rights before moving forward with an application. These are extremely positive developments.” – National Immigrant Justice Center

“Some of the most heart-wrenching stories we hear at Marriage Equality USA are from binational couples and their families. Same-sex partners of U.S. citizens and permanent residents are often faced with the prospect of deportation because of the absence of legal marriage rights. Sometimes both partners leave family and friends in the United States for countries that accept gay couples – becoming “love exiles”. U.S. immigration is largely based on the principle of family unification, which allows U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents to sponsor their spouses (and other family members) for immigration purposes. Same-sex partners of U.S. citizens and permanent residents, however, are not considered “spouses” and are hence excluded from family-based immigration rights. Thousands of lesbian and gay binational families are torn apart or forced to live in fear of being separated. These are real families forced to make choices that no one should ever have to make. Marriage Equality USA deplores the exclusion of same- sex couples from immigration reform because love recognizes no geographic boundaries; families and children deserve the protection, dignity, and respect of a loving home.” – Marriage Equality USA

“Immigration reform should bring us together to create a stronger America that welcomes and supports all families.  LGBT families must be included in all aspects of reform if we truly believe in liberty and justice for all.” – CenterLink: The Community of LGBT Centers

“We are gravely disappointed . . .  that even as many families will experience the joy of reunification, some families and family members have been excluded from the Senate bill.  As the process moves forward, we will strongly urge the inclusion of same-sex partners and spouses in the legislation.  Every family deserves to live in unity.” – The Episcopal Church’s Presiding Bishop, Katharine Jefferts Schori

“There are 11 million undocumented immigrants in this country – including at least 267,000 who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.  The introduction of the bi-partisan Senate bill is a solid first step in addressing our broken immigration system – but there is much work to be done to ensure a fully comprehensive and inclusive immigration law is passed.  Family Equality Council believes we must pass comprehensive immigration reform that provides for a safe path to citizenship, ends unjust detentions and deportations, abolishes the one-year filing deadline for asylum-seekers, and preserves the current family-based immigration system – which must include bi-national same-sex couples. At its core, immigration is a family issue.  There are over 36,000 bi-national same-sex couples currently residing in the U.S., almost half of whom are raising children. With no ability to sponsor their partners, these U.S. citizen parents are forced make impossible choices: live apart from their same-sex spouse/partner and split up their families or remain together but leave the U.S., thus uprooting children from their schools, friends, communities, and extended families.  We call on Congress to ensure that any immigration legislation that reaches the President’s desk includes the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) – the bill that explicitly allows LGBT Americans to sponsor their same-sex partners for immigration purposes.  We look forward to the day when our nation’s immigration policies make our families stronger and create more stable homes.” – Family Equality Council

“Reform legislation should reunite families, eliminate unconscionable family-based backlogs, preserve diversity, end discrimination against LGBT people, and ensure adequate numbers of visas in all categories.” – The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights

“The bill introduced by the Senate’s Gang of Eight brings us one step closer to the historic immigration reform this country desperately needs. From a groundbreaking pathway to citizenship, to a lasting solution for the young DREAMers hopeful for a future in this country, to much-needed reform for asylum-seekers, this bill will change millions of lives for the better. But as immigration reform reaches the Senate Judiciary Committee, there is work left to do.  . . . Failing to act on UAFA would stand in stark contrast to this bill’s unprecedented inclusivity. As we stand at the crossroads of history, leaving anyone out weakens the moral authority of this once-in-a-generation legislation.” – Chad Griffin, President of The Human Rights Campaign

“The bill is not perfect. We will work to improve it as the legislative process unfolds. . . . We want the definition of families to include LGBT families. We want to roll back harsh detention and deportation policies, stop the separation of families and reduce the wasteful spending so rampant in our current enforcement system.” – Alliance for Citizenship (A4C)

“Immigration is a major priority for the Jewish community, and this new bipartisan bill gives us all reason to be optimistic. However, there remains important work to be done in order to ensure that this legislation is as just and as inclusive as possible. Failing to include LGBT equality in the bill sends the dangerous message that it is acceptable to continue to discriminate against certain groups of people. Same-sex bi-national couples should not be forced to choose between their love for America and their love for each other. These couples are our congregants, friends and leaders in our communities. As Judaism teaches us, they are created in the image of God, just like all people, and should be protected as equals by the law.” - Bend the Arc: A Jewish Partnership for Justice

“The Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) will ensure what its title promises; namely uniting all American families regardless of their sexual orientation, abode, or socioeconomic status. Specifically, UAFA would give binational same-sex couples the same immigration rights afforded to heterosexual couples — including the right to petition for green cards for partners or spouses. UAFA must be an integral part of reforming our dysfunctional immigration laws to ensure fairness and equality by allowing U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents to sponsor their same-sex, foreign-born partners for immigration purposes. It’s the right thing to do and it is the best way to preserve the American values of family, unity, and equality.” – American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA)

“CWS is strongly opposed to the bill’s provisions that would eliminate, 18 months after enactment, the ability for U.S. citizens to sponsor their brothers, sisters, and children who are married and over the age of 30. We will seek to restore both of these categories in the amendment process, as well as advocate for U.S. Citizens and greencard holders to be able to reunite with their same-sex partner.” – Church World Service

“I am a DREAM Act beneficiary and in a binational relationship. The inclusion of UAFA is about the recognition of our families and the end of a century-old exclusion of LGBT families in our community. Last night, as pieces of the bill’s text began to surface online, I held my husband tightly — knowing that the Gang of 8 had excluded our family from the Comprehensive Immigration Reform bill. I know exactly what 40,000 families felt this morning when they saw that the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) was not included in the bill. Our community has fought hard for full recognition under the law in this country and our struggle for equality has not ended, but only just begun.” – Felipe Sousa-Rodriguez, co-director of GetEQUAL

“We know all too well from California’s own transformation on the immigration issue that inclusion must triumph over exclusion and needlessly harsh and wasteful measures. When we measure today’s bill against this nation’s founding principle that all people are created equal, the proposal falls short in some key areas. Comprehensive reform should include all 11 million aspiring citizens, put a halt to painful deportations, and protect the fundamental principle of family unity, both by upholding family-based visas and recognizing LGBTQ families. Reform should also protect all workers, yet a provision to require all employers to check workers’ immigration status against the flawed ‘E-Verify system could lead to 90,000 pink slips for authorized workers just in California.” – California Immigrant Policy Center

“Our country has been built on the principle of Family Reunification and it is very unfortunate that the definition of family continues to omit LGBT Families. Same Sex binational couples have once again been ignored by Congress. The Senate has called the bill, the Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act, but their compromise excluded same sex binational couples, forcing us to choose between our families and our country in order to stay together, this bill does not provide us with Economic Opportunity or a Modern Immigration Process. By excluding the more than 40,000 ame-sex binational couples, this bill is not inclusive – nor is it comprehensive. And it runs counter to the framework presented by President Obama, who proposed our inclusion in this bill back in January.” – Amos Lim, Out4Immigration

“On behalf of our nation’s thousands of Black lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender immigrants, I commend the bi-partisan “Gang of 8” for introducing the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013. This legislation is a huge step forward for our nation’s 11 million plus immigrants, many of whom identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, and is particularly meaningful for many of these immigrants who live at the intersections of race, LGBT equality and their immigration status. In today’s hyper-polarized political climate, it is encouraging to see legislation offered that could significantly benefit members of our community whose issues are often relegated to the sidelines of our political process. However, while the bill establishes a meaningful path to citizenship for immigrants and new regulations that preserve the integrity of immigrant workers in our country, it is disappointing that LGBT families established by bi-national same-sex couples have still been left out of America’s promise for comprehensive immigration reform. This grievous omission underscores the need for Congress to take additional legislative action and provide equal treatment under the law to all American citizens through the Uniting American Families Act, which extends the right for an American citizen to sponsor their foreign-born partner for citizenship to committed, same-sex couples.” - Sharon J. Lettman-Hicks, Executive Director & CEO, National Black Justice Coalition

The post Allies Speak Out for LGBT Families in Immigration Reform appeared first on Immigration Equality.

This afternoon, the long-anticipated comprehensive immigration reform bill from the Senate’s “Gang of 8” will finally be introduced. It is a big, complex piece of legislation that addresses many different immigration issues. Our legal team is hard at work reading the bill and analyzing its many proposals, and what those mean for LGBT immigrants and their families.

We already know, however, some of the high – and low – points of the bill.

The legislation includes a path to citizenship for many undocumented people. It also includes the DREAM Act, which will allow young, undocumented youth (many of whom are LGBT) a path to citizenship as well. Both of these components will help countless immigrants – including LGBT immigrants – finally emerge from the shadows and have an opportunity to fully participate in the life of our country. The bill also includes repeal of the 1-year filing deadline for individuals seeking asylum in the United States, which is a significant obstacle faced by many LGBT asylum seekers. Immigration Equality supports all of these important measures.

As we anticipated, however, the base bill does not include the Uniting American Families Act. (A “base bill” is the first version of the legislation, before any lawmakers have an opportunity to make amendments, or changes, to the language.)

UAFA’s exclusion renders the bill incomplete. It is not comprehensive and is does not reflect the values or diversity of our country. Senators on the Judiciary Committee must allow a full and open amendment process that provides an opportunity to add UAFA as an amendment during that process.  We need a majority of Committee members to support adding UAFA to the bill. This means the time is NOW to contact Judiciary Committee Senators and demand they vote for UAFA during the amendment process.

We will not give Senators of either party a pass on the inclusion of our families in immigration reform. We are watching – and we will remember – which lawmakers stand with us, and which stand to the side, when this critical vote happens. The Judiciary Committee includes Senators from states with full marriage equality, such as New York, Vermont, Connecticut and Iowa. Other states represented on the Committee – California, Texas and Arizona – are home to large numbers of LGBT binational families.

One of those families is Fabiola Morales and her wife, Kelly Costello. Kelly, who is expecting twins, married Fabiola shortly after Washington, D.C. passed marriage equality. Fabiola is currently in the United States on a student visa and is also undergoing experimental medical treatment for multiple sclerosis. Her visa expires when her studies are complete, and her critical medical treatment is not available outside the U.S. Under the legislation introduced today, Fabiola has no pathway to citizenship — despite her marriage, her growing family and the fact that she has never gone out of legal status for a single day.

If UAFA is added as part of the final bill, however, Fabiola will become eligible for residency immediately.

The LGBT community, and our allies, have fought too hard to sit idly by and allow our relationships to be treated as second-class under the immigration system. Kelly and Fabiola should be treated the same as every other couple. Anything less is unacceptable.

Here is what we need you to do today:  If your Senator is a member of the Judiciary Committee, pick up the phone and call them. Tell them you, and your family, are counting on their support for adding UAFA during the amendment process. A full list of Committee Members is available online here. To reach their office, call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected. (Once you make your call, report back to us via our online form.)

Then, if you can, sign up to join us in Washington, D.C. for our lobby days, on April 23 and 24 so you can tell them again – in person – how important this is to you.

The Committee Members’ votes will mean the difference between a stable future, or one of uncertainty, separation and exile, for thousands of LGBT couples. Now is the time – our last real shot for passing UAFA in this Congress.  Don’t sit this out. Call, come to Washington and demand our families be part of immigration reform.

The post The Immigration Bill: What’s There, What’s Missing & What’s Next appeared first on Immigration Equality.

I am myself an undocumented, gay, person of color… someone who fully understands the intersection of the LGBT and immigrant rights movements because I have lived it firsthand. Immigration Equality has provided me the opportunity and a platform to speak up and lead because they understand the importance of my experiences, my story, and my ability to connect with those of similar experiences. When you empower an individual to voice their true self, someone who for most their lives have been relegated to hiding in the deep and dark closets and shadows of our society, you build on our nation’s purest values of freedom, justice and the pursuit of happiness.

The expansive contributions by our Immigrant and LGBT communities are deeply interwoven in the fabric of American society. Our narratives are likewise interwoven and cannot be divided… Immigrant Rights are LGBT Rights and LGBT Rights are Immigrant Rights and Immigration Equality is endlessly dedicated to lifting up everyone’s voices in our common struggle to bring justice and dignity to all our communities.  Our cause endures…

The post Lifting Up Everyone’s Voices in Our Common Struggle for Justice appeared first on Immigration Equality.