California Assembly sends message for LGBT Immigration Rights

by Melanie Nathan (lezgetreal)

41-28 votes

California’s Assembly has sent a message today – that it demands full immigration equalityfor its same-sex partners. Alice Kessler of Immigration Equality worked tirelessly to bring this to the Floor and now with her at the helm I have no doubt that it will pass the California State Senate, whereafter it is State Law. Immigration falls under the jurisdiction of the Federal Law. So in effect a same-sex Californians who are married or in a domestic partnership with a foreigner, cannot sponsor their spouse to stay in the US and is hence subject to separation or exile, regardless of whether there are children or not.

In effect California is asking the Federal Government to do something about the plight of binational couples, the majority of whom it is believed are from California.
AJR 15 is a Resolution that expresses its support for the Federal bill, UAFA, Uniting American Families Act , introduced in this the 111th Congress by Congressman Jerold Nadler, (D) of New York.

UAFA places the words “permanent partner” next to “spouse” in the Immigration and Nationality Act, thereby giving gay and lesbian partners the right to sponsor foreign partners.
According to Kessler, this will now move to the Senate in January or February of next year. It ought to be a powerful tool from the citizens of California to send a message to our Representatives in Congress to sign as co-sponsors for UAFA and if already signed on, to find a way to move it forward.