ILW.COM - immigration news: Letter From Morgan

Dear Editor:
In your editorial, you state: "The spouses and children of US citizens are treated completely differently - these are subject to no quota. What moral basis exists to treat nuclear families differently? Is the bond between a husband and wife, or between parent and child, any different when seen in US citizens or green card holders?" This statement ignores the fact that within US law, there is currently an unfair and discriminatory distinction that treats certain spouses of US citizens differently. Same-sex permanent partners are ineligible for any derivative immigration benefits since current immigration law defines "spouse" as a partner of the opposite sex. Thousands of binational couples are forced to break the law, leave the US, or live apart, even when one is a US citizen, simply because of they are of the same sex.

Your statement: "Is the bond between a husband and wife, or between parent and child, any different when seen in US citizens or green card holders?" would be more equitably phrased: Is the bond between permanent partners, or between parent and child, any different when seen in US citizens or green card holders or when seen between couple of the opposite or same sex? It is equally as immoral to separate gay and lesbian nuclear families as it is to separate nuclear families of those who hold a green card. Fifteen countries around the world already recognize lesbian and gay couples for the purposes of immigration. As stated by the Lesbian and Gay Immigration Rights Task Force (www.lgirtf.org): "There is no excuse for the US to lag so far behind in providing fair and humanitarian immigration rights to same-sex binational couples."

I support the removal of the FB-2A quota to strengthen the principle of family reunification to US immigration law. I also call for the passage of HR832, the Permanent Partners Immigration Act. The bill would simply add the words "Permanent Partner" to current immigration law and would therefore allow for the legal recognition of gay and lesbian binational relationships for the purpose of immigration benefits.

Debby Morgan

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