The announcements this week by a bipartisan group of senators and President Barack Obama to overhaul the country's broken immigration system are good first steps, but fall short by not ensuring that same-sex couples are part of any legislative package.
The senators released their proposal Monday, one day ahead of the president's speech in Las Vegas, where he challenged Congress to act quickly on immigration reform. But Obama did not mention LGBT people in his remarks. Instead, that was left to a White House fact sheet, which included two critical components of any reform plan: the DREAM Act, which provides a streamlined path to citizenship for young people who came to this country as children and are going to school or serving in the U.S. military; and the long-stalled Uniting American Families Act, which gives U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents the right to sponsor their same-sex permanent partners to immigrate to the United States.
It is clear that Republicans will put up a fight against both of these needed policies. Already, Senator John McCain (R-Arizona), a participant in the bipartisan effort, told CBS News that including same-sex binational couples in the legislation is a "red flag" that is "not of paramount importance." House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) told the New York Times that House Republicans "hope the president is careful not to drag the debate to the left ... ." It's been reported that the senators did not include LGBTs in their proposal due to Republican opposition, but that Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) will offer an amendment to protect gay couples in his committee.
Such an amendment must be offered, and quickly. The Williams Institute, an LGBT think tank at the UCLA School of Law, says that there are at least 28,500 same-sex couples in the U.S. comprising a U.S. citizen and a foreigner, and 11,500 same-sex couples in which neither partner is a U.S. citizen.
LGBT organizations support making the UAFA part of the immigration reform package. Log Cabin Republicans interim executive Director Gregory T. Angelo issued a statement Tuesday in which he pointed out that "committed binational couples are forced to choose: Leave the country and family they love, or stay here illegally." He noted that Republican Senator Susan Collins (Maine) is now a co-sponsor of the UAFA, indicating some bipartisan support. But more is needed.
Kate Kendell, executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, was in Las Vegas for the president's speech, and said Obama made clear that he supports an accessible and straightforward path to citizenship, recognition of all families, and a process for keeping those families together, including LGBT parents and citizenship for Dreamers.
More work will be required. Same-sex binational couples must share their stories, and, as Kendell told us, this is a moment for the LGBT community to really stand up and work not only with gay organizations, but also mainstream immigrant advocates.