A day before Valentine's Day, Congressman Jerold Nadler will reintroduce, in the House, the Uniting American Families Act, a bill to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to eliminate discrimination in the immigration laws by permitting same-sex permanent partners of US citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents (green card holders) to obtain Permanent Resident Status in the same manner as spouses of citizens and lawful permanent residents. Last year. US Senator of Vermont, Patrick Leahy, introduced the same bill in the Senate.

Under the US Immigration and Nationality Act, a “family” does not include same-sex partners. Under the Act, ONLY US heterosexual citizens and legal permanent residents may sponsor their spouses (and other immediate family members) for immigration purposes. Sadly, same-sex partners of US citizens and permanent residents are not considered “spouses” and therefore are ineligible for family-based immigration. Consequently, many same-sex bi-national couples are kept apart or torn apart. And since immigration is regulated on a federal level, even bi-national couples who have entered into marriages, civil unions or other legally RECOGNIZED RELATIONSHIPS IN THEIR HOME STATES STILL CANNOT sponsor their spouses for immigration purposes. The Uniting American Families Act would help to remedy this injustice.

Thousands of same-sex couples are separated or live in constant fear of being stopped by officials who demand to see documentation and threaten detention. In some cases, same-sex partners face prosecution by the CIS (formerly INS) — including hefty fines and deportations. US citizens are sometimes left with no other choice but to immigrate with their partners to a country with more fair-minded immigration laws.

The momentum for positive change is here. Reach out to your Representative to cosponsor the bill on February 13, 2009.