HRC Blog

Today, 69 Members of Congress sent a letter to the heads of the Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security urging further actions to stop the deportation of foreign born members of bi-national same-sex couples.

Today, Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) joined by Senators Harry Reid (D-NV), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), John Kerry (D-MA), Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Chuck Schumer (D-NY) reintroduced the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2011, which includes the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA). UAFA allows United States citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their same-sex partners for family-based immigration.

Yesterday, Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) introduced a comprehensive immigration reform (CIR) bill, which includes the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA). UAFA allows United States citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their same-sex partners for family-based immigration.

As HRC fights to get the Senate to take up the FY 2011 Defense Authorization bill, which contains language to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT), Senate Majority Leader Reid has also made clear that he wants to offer an amendment to the Defense bill that would make undocumented youth eligible for a path to citizenship as they complete a college degree or two years of military service (the “DREAM Act”). While it is obvious why repealing DADT is important to the LGBT community, reforming our nation’s broken immigration system is important to our community as well.

Today the Human Rights Campaign joined in a coalition of LGBT, immigrants’ rights, civil rights and faith groups calling on Congress to enact the Uniting American Families Act (H.R.1024) as part of any future immigration reform effort.