Immigration Officials Take Same-Sex Relationship Into Account In Deportation Cases
By Dan Avery August 6, 2012 at 6:08am · 15 comments
Reiterating previous statements, Homeland Security officials said Friday that a same-sex relationship with a U.S. citizen could help delay the deportation of a foreigner.
While they won't get a complete pass, binational gay and lesbian couples are generally to be considered a low priority in comparison to convicted criminals and other high-priority cases, said Homeland Security spokesperson Marsha Catron.
But so long as DOMA is the law of the land, it's a murky—and scary—situation for couples who straddle the border: "Homeland Security will continue to comply with a 1996 law that prohibits the government from recognizing same-sex relationships," writes the AP, "even as it takes these relationships into consideration when evaluating possible deportation."
Nancy Pelosi has requested the department put its policy in writing and send it to Immigration and Customs Enforcement offices to make sure its followed. "We look forward to the written guidance that we expect would be a logical next step," said Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill.
binational Homeland Security Immigration Equality Nancy Pelosi
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Send his ass back , like u would any other illegal
August 6, 2012 at 7:08am
Daez
@Geno: A lot of these people did not start out illegal. They started out legally on work and educational visas. Then those visas ran out. If they were heterosexual they could simply get married and then there would be no problem, but because of bigotry and stupidity that is not an option for LGBT couples.
Robert in NYC
@Geno: If you were in a bi-national relationship, you might think differently. It's painful, cruel and inhuman for both in a relationship. I've gone through it and I wouldn't wish it on anyone, sleepless nights, living in fear, depression, unhappiness. Nobody should be subjected to that just because of the person they love and commit to. Straights have a free pass because of the marriage factor and they can sponsor their intended marriage partner. We don't have either luxury. Be careful what you wish for.
Which one? Geno which one would you want to be sent back? I'm looking at them and they both look like they could be American. At least in my book they both look like what I think Americans look like. If you are somehow suggesting the brown boy with the beautiful smile should be sent back to his Latin homeland, I would counter it with the white man wtih the bearded face is a fucking Canadian. They are both welcomed in my home, my country, my life. Robert is right. Try sitting at home wondering if your partner has the basics of life he needs. Try that one on and see how it feels. Every day i go through this shit and I wonder why i chose this one over the others. I mean, being with an American would be easier right? But you see…..you can't help who you fall in love with. It happens and how one chooses to respond to it could define them forever. When I was younger and less educated I too felt like unauthorized aliens were somehow taking advantage of our country, but then I grew up.
kawneekwa
@Geno If the foreiegn was female, the man be able to sponsor. Ain't you miss the point?
August 6, 2012 at 10:08am
@geno please watch. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTayljq4jw0
Let's be honest now
oh please, the posters singing kumbaya for this couple are only doing so because one is an ethnic minority. These are the same posters who will rip apart a gay couple if they look "femme" and have no issues with it. But because THIS topic hits close to home, they are all about no one's feelings getting hurt. Have we all not seen beautiful gay couples ripped apart on here (who weren't in immigration heat) get ripped apart for not looking 'manly' enough? Wanna guess who was behind those posts?
Probably the same posters above going on about how their boyfriends didn't get respect in this country for not being legal.
August 6, 2012 at 4:08pm
@Let's be honest now: I agree that it's troubling and a little suspect to see people on here often jump at any notions of racism, but femphobias are very rarely corrected on here by anyone. But there's no way of knowing the same contributors above are responsible for bashing of effiminate gays, which gets really ugly on here. I'd hope they share the same compassion for all our LGBT equally. and I wish this or any couple struggling with their status all my best.
@Geno and everyone else: the term "illegal immigrant" is an inaccurate slur. It is inaccurate because overstaying a visa is not a crime per se; rather, it allows the DHS to deport such individuals at its discretion through a civil procedure, and undocumented immigrants may, by virtue of their status, commit a variety of other crimes, but lacking papers is not in and of itself a crime. It is a slur because its increased use in the past decade or so coincides with a rise in hate crimes against Latinos and those profiled as Latinos. Its use also contributes to a xenophobic public discourse that causes undocumented immigrants considerable psychological stress, especially for DREAMers when they discover their status, up to and including major depression.
Cirioli
@No Human Being Is Illegal: OH PLEASE! You broke laws and came here illegally, or your parents did. Cut the PC crap! YOU ARE ILLEGAL! And will always be reffered to as illegal.
Vegas Virtue
@No Human Being Is Illegal: Every country in this world has rules and regulations that govern their country and citizens. Including borders and border protection. There ahs to be accountability for who is in a territory for so many reasons that there isn't time to list them. To suggest otherwise is purely self serving. To go against those national rules is unlawful. To being an immigrant who is careless about respecting laws while migrating does indeed make one an illegal immigrant. An action they volunteered to take, and were not forced into. This is logic. Anything you're mentioning sadly fails that and wants emotion to tarnish logic and facts.
@No Human Being Is Illegal: what about the feelings of the many people going through the legal process to get in this country, who are in line and who's cases are complicated because folks like you chose to give them a middle finger and cut in line?
Let's be honest now….wtf? Probably not. Only a puddle of man batter would be so shallow. If you don't know the situation, and you sure has hell don't know mine, then futt the buck out with your nasty self serving assumptions. As an FYI, we're completely legal. He's never stepped foot in "this" country….glad you made the assumption you knew what the hell anyone is talking about. We're both living in Asia, just on different continents. Our passports look like fucking coloring books these days because we manage with the situation we've been given. Until it changes that's what we've got. I don't sing kumbaya with or for anyone. In fact, I'm usually much more social. But when ignorance rises like cream someone needs to scoop it off and ensure it gets served.
Vegas virture…..wtf? you never traveled across the open borders in Europe? Drive from one country to the next (most but not all countries) without so much as a WC stop. The only country that knows of your presence is the one that stamped your passport. All others are oblivious. So i suggest otherwise and I serve myself after all others.
and finally, it does appear that Illegal Immigrant is an inaccurate slur as the term immigrant implies someone migrating to the country. (they've been given permission to do so). You can have Illegal Immigration but not an illegal immigrant…..or so says the Unites States Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Brandon Brock
@Daniel:
I feel like I should chime in here. 🙂
That's me, the bearded dude on the left with the goofy grin and my husband Alex with "the beautiful smile" (he's a looker, ain't he?). This photo was taken back when I was a marriage equality activist a few years ago.
I think it's commentary that the folks at Queerty found our image from a 2009 marriage equality rally in NYC's Union Square and deemed us a bi-national couple (tho we love Queerty and are happy to be on it, even if mislabeled). Alex and I are both American-born citizens and his family hails from the Philippines.
Take it from me; true bi-national couples blend into society so well that non bi-national couples are deeemd as such incorrectly just because one dude is a whitey guy and the other has a vague latino look.
Big thanks to our Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi and the leadership at the Homeland Security department who are finally bringing sane, civil treatment to our community.
Queerty: you rock.
With love from San Francisco,
August 7, 2012 at 12:08pm
Brandon. Thanks for that message. I'm sick of people defining what illegal looks like. I misjudged the skintone. Does Spanish occupation count as Latin? Just joshing. I agree that we should give thanks to the current administration for the enormous courage they demonstrate in taking on this controversial subject.
My partner Cesario is also from Phillipines. We are heading to Palawan next week for some island hopping. Life is so good, but we know it will be better once the walls come down. Peace.