Impact Litigation
Through our impact litigation, we seek to change discriminatory policies affecting LGBTQ and HIV-positive people. In these cases, we may only represent a small group of people, but our aim is to get rulings that are far-reaching and improves the lives of our community on a large scale.
Immigration Equality v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security
In 2020, the Trump administration issued proposed federal regulations designed to end the asylum system in the United States. If they had gone into effect, the regulations, known as the “death the asylum” rule, would have resulted in the denial of most or all LGBTQ claims across the nation. In response, Immigration Equality and Lambda Legal sued the Trump administration on behalf of the plaintiffs, Immigration Equality, Oasis, TransLatina Coalition, Transgender Law Center, and the Black LGBTQIA+ Migrant Project. We argued the case in early January 2021 and secured a nationwide temporary restraining order against the regulations in their entirety.
Case Documents
Press Releases
Immigration Equality and Lambda Legal Challenge Trump Administration’s “Death to Asylum” Rule
Federal Judge Blocks Trump Administration’s “Death to Asylum” Rule
Blixt v. Tillerson (later Blixt v. Pompeo), Dvash-Banks v. Tillerson (later Dvash-Banks v. Pompeo), Mize v. Pompeo, Kiviti v. Pompeo
For years, the State Department treated the children of married same-sex U.S.-citizen parents born abroad as born “out-of-wedlock,” and then it denied that they were citizens. After we brought four lawsuits against the State Department, including two in conjunction with Lambda Legal, the agency issued a press release in May 2021 indicating that they updated their policy.
We brought lawsuits with co-counsel against the State Department on behalf of four families harmed by its discriminatory policy, which treated children born abroad to same-sex married couples as born “out of wedlock.” Meet the families that changed the policy for themselves and all same-sex couples and families.
Blixt v. Tillerson (later Blixt v. Pompeo)
Case Documents
About the Plaintiffs
Dvash-Banks v. Tillerson (later Dvash-Banks v. Pompeo)
Case Documents
Press Releases
Immigration Equality and Sullivan and Cromwell LLP File Two Lawsuits Against U.S. State Department for Discriminating Against Married Same-Sex Couples and Their Children
Federal Judge Rules Child of Gay Couple Was Citizen at Birth Just Like His Twin Brother
State Department Ends Policy That Denied Citizenship to Children of Same-Sex Couples
About the Plaintiffs
Mize v. Pompeo
Case Documents
Press Releases
Same-Sex Georgia Couple Sues U.S. State Department for Refusing to Recognize Their One-Year-Old Daughter’s Citizenship
U.S. citizenship of children of married same-sex couples is secure after U.S. Department of State folds following mounting court losses
State Department Ends Policy That Denied Citizenship to Children of Same-Sex Couples
About the Plaintiffs
Kiviti v. Pompeo
Case Documents
Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief
Federal Court Orders Department of State to Recognize U.S. Citizenship of Child of Gay Couple Born Abroad
Press Releases
Federal Court Orders Department of State to Recognize U.S. Citizenship of Child of Gay Couple Born Abroad
State Department Ends Policy That Denied Citizenship to Children of Same-Sex Couples