Today, Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, and Representatives John Conyers (D-MI), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Jared Polis (D-CO), Mike Honda (D-CA), Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), and Jackie Speier (D-CA) announced the re-introduction of the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA).  This overdue legislation would allow gay and lesbian Americans to sponsor their permanent partners for legal residency in the United States, a right currently enjoyed only by married heterosexuals under immigration law.  Because the U.S. does not legally recognize gay and lesbian couples and their children as families, many same-sex binational couples are torn apart.  Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) also introduced UAFA today in the Senate.

“Today, thousands of committed same-sex couples are needlessly suffering because of unequal treatment under our immigration laws, and this is an outrage,” said Congressman Nadler.  “Our Constitution guarantees that no class of people will be singled out for differential treatment – and LGBT Americans should not and must not be excluded from that guarantee.”

“It’s appalling that the United States Government forces families to separate,” noted Congresswoman Lofgren.  “As a nation, we should be encouraging the cohesion of American families not forcing the deportation of partners and parents.  This is about discrimination, and in America we are all equal regardless of color, race, creed, or sexual orientation.”

“Our immigration system has always recognized the value of keeping families together,” said Congressman Conyers.  “But when it comes to legally married same-sex couples and domestic partners our immigration law says those families don’t count. I am pleased to join my colleagues today to stand against this discrimination and to protect the unity of all families.”

“There is simply no place for discrimination in America,” said Congresswoman Baldwin.  “LGBT families are being torn apart by inequitable immigration laws that deny same sex married couples and domestic partners the same rights and obligations as their married heterosexual neighbors.  It’s imperative that we end discriminatory laws that hurt couples, their children and extended families, and their communities and employers.”

"This common-sense bill would end one of the worst injustices in our immigration system,” said Congressman Polis.  “Instead of continuing to discriminate against same-sex marriages, we should welcome immigrants who help grow our economy. The Uniting American Families Act would promote family reunification and take a first step towards fixing our broken immigration system."

“I am proud to stand with Representative Nadler and leaders from the LGBT, civil rights, religious and business communities in supporting the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA),” said Congressman Honda.  “As an American who was uprooted from my extended family and community during World War II because of my Japanese heritage, I know first-hand the trauma that is caused when family members are forced to separate because of something so fundamental as who we are.  We need to ensure that our immigration laws protect the civil rights of LGBT Americans by allowing them to reunite with their loved ones.”

“Our immigration laws ought to reflect reality and provide a legal structure to the way human beings actually are, not try to impose an alternative reality,” said Congressman Gutierrez.  “Human beings move from place to place and country to country and human beings fall in love.  It is our nature.  Our laws ought to recognize reality and regulate it so that they reflect the diversity and complexity of modern families as they are, which is why we need UAFA and why it needs to be part of immigration reform.”

“Immigration Equality Action Fund is proud to stand with Congressman Nadler, and our Congressional champions, as they reintroduce the Uniting American Families Act,” said Rachel B. Tiven, the group’s Executive Director.  “American families that are working hard, paying their taxes, raising their children and contributing to their communities should be celebrated and encouraged – not threatened with separation.  Every day, Immigration Equality hears from families who are facing separation and exile because of our country’s broken and discriminatory immigration system.  UAFA is the legislative solution for those families, and we are committed to building support for its passage as quickly as possible, before more families are torn apart.”

“Our nation’s discriminatory immigration laws force bi-national same-sex families to decide between breaking up or living in exile.  No American family should face this decision,” said Joe Solmonese, President of the Human Rights Campaign.  “Bi-national same-sex partners must often leave family and friends, sell businesses, and abandon the community and country they love in order to keep their families together.  We stand with and applaud Representative Nadler for reintroducing the Uniting American Families Act to remedy this injustice and ensure that our nation’s laws treat committed bi-national same-sex couples with dignity and respect.”

“U.S. immigration policy is supposed to be based on the principle of bringing and keeping families together, but the system is broken. Instead of unification, the policy often results in painful separation of loved ones,” said Rea Carey, Executive Director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.  “This must change.  Thousands of binational same-sex couples and their families have been kept separated or forced to live abroad.  This discriminatory practice is unfair and inhumane.  No one should ever have to choose between their partner and their country or be denied the freedom to be with their families.  The Uniting American Families Act will change this inequity.”

UAFA would add the term “permanent partner” to sections of the Immigration and Naturalization Act that apply to married heterosexual couples.  “Permanent partner” is described as an adult who is in a committed, intimate relationship with another adult in “which both parties intend a lifelong commitment.”  This legislation would afford equal immigration benefits to permanent partners as exist for married heterosexuals, and it would impose the same restrictions, enforcement standards and penalties as are currently in immigration law.

Joining the Members today were Rachel Tiven, Executive Director of Immigration Equality; Joe Solmonese, President of the Human Rights Campaign; Rea Carey, Executive Director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force; and, Shirley Tan and Jay Mercado, a same-sex California couple, and their children Joriene and Jashley.  The recent immigration plight of the Tan/Mercado family drew national attention and dramatically highlighted the urgency to pass UAFA.

At least 25 countries currently allow residents to sponsor gay and lesbian permanent partners for legal immigration, including Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Israel, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.