If you’ve been following the news in the last few years you’ve likely heard that the situation for gays and lesbians in Russia has deteriorated significantly. Gay and Lesbian Russians need your help. Anti-gay laws, homophobic protests and anti-gay attacks have increased. For many, it is no longer safe to be gay man or woman…
Guest Post by Daniel Z. Bean, Paralegal Are We Eligible? We’re overcome with gratitude to those who’ve fought for marriage equality and we’re positively beaming that LGBT bi-national couples are now planning to live their lives together. Couples once separated by restrictions on immigration policy are seeing the green light as foreign partners are approved…
Guest Blog by Daniel Z. Bean Supporters of immigration reform were thrilled when the US Senate passed a bipartisan bill this summer, but House republicans have balked at the idea that they’ll be voting on the Senate bill, insisting that a path to citizenship is out of the question. And now with two time-sensitive political…
Following the SCOTUS DOMA ruling and prior to her resignation, Homeland Security Secretary, Janet Napolitano made the following statement: “After last week’s decision by the Supreme Court holding that Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional, President Obama directed federal departments to ensure the decision and its implication for federal benefits…
Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano issued a statement regarding immigration after the Defense of Marriage Act or DOMA was struck down as unconstitutional by the Supreme Court this morning. “I applaud today’s Supreme Court decision in United States v. Windsor holding that the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional. This discriminatory law denied…
This morning the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a 5-4 decision ruling the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional. Justice Kennedy wrote the majority opinion writing that “the federal statute is invalid, for no legitimate purpose overcomes the purpose and effect to disparage and to injure those whom the State, by its marriage laws, sought to…
In only a few hours, on Thursday morning, June 20th, 2013 we expect to hear the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in United States v. Windsor. The Court will decide whether Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) violates the Fifth Amendment’s guarantee of equal protection of the laws as applied to persons of…
Marriage to a U.S. Citizen is one of the quickest ways towards lawful permanent residence. Marriage alone will not change one’s immigration status and in some cases, marriage to a U.S. Citizen might not lead a green card. However, for foreign nationals who are in the U.S. on student, work or tourist visas, it may…
The Supreme Court will rule this June on the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act and whether or not the federal government must recognize same-sex marriages. Immigration law is federal and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and State Department are federal agencies that can grant greencards and immigrant visas to spouses of U.S. Citizens. If…
I will be speaking about LGBT asylum law and same-sex marriage greencards on a panel at Gay City in Capitol Hill Seattle on March 27th at 7PM. See the following description of the event from the website of Social Outreach Seattle. Following the success of Social Outreach Seattle’s “What’s Next After Marriage?” Forum, SOSea’s [TED] Program will continue engaging…