Rep. Jerrold Nadler
of New York reintroduced H.R.519
Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) to promote LGBT family unity
immigration, cosponsored by 16 other Representatives including
the former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
UAFA 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 bi-national couples are torn apart.
As the push for comprehensive immigration reform increases in Congress,
the original co-sponsors asserted that any legislative proposal for
immigration reform must include UAFA and equality for LGBT families.
Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) also plans to introduce UAFA in the
Senate.
Again this bill is intended
to get this part of immigration reform in the ongoing Comprehensive
Immigration Reform activities in both the Senate and the House.
The LGBT community was happy with the Senate immigration reform
proposals because LGBT immigrant family unification part was
not visibly included.
This bill appears to be intended to remind
the legislative leaders who are working on the CIR to address
this component in the final CIR legislative bill.
For the sponsor's
news release, please click here.
Full Text Of The Bill: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c113:H.R.519:
Update (Feb 13, 2013):
Senator Patrick Leahy of
Vermont introduced S.296 to permit permanent partners
of United States citizens and lawful permanent residents to obtain
lawful permanent resident status in the same manner as spouses
of citizens and lawful permanent residents and to penalize immigration
fraud in connection with permanent partnerships.
Full Text: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c113:S.296: