US lawmaker: Suspend Deportation of Gay Spouses

[RetiredTrotskyite]

HADDONFIELD, N.J. — U.S. Rep. Rush Holt is pushing the Obama administration to halt deportation proceedings against the same-sex spouses of U.S. citizens.

The Democrat wrote a letter to the federal Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday to make the request on behalf of a couple who live in his central New Jersey district. An estimated 36,000 bi-national same-sex couples are in the U.S., and all have reason to be worried if deportations are not stopped, the couple's lawyer says.

The case underscores the ambiguous status of the 1996 federal Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as the union of a heterosexual man and a heterosexual woman. Earlier this year, Attorney General Eric Holder said the government would no longer defend the law in court. But the administration continues to enforce it.

In New Jersey, Princeton University political science graduate student Josh Vandiver was married last year in Connecticut, where same-sex marriage is legal, to Henry Velandia, a citizen of Venezuela and professional salsa dancer.

Velandia's visitor visa expired, and he said he hasn't been able to get a green card, or permanent resident status, through an employer. Because the federal government doesn't recognize the couple's marriage, Vandiver cannot sponsor Velandia as a heterosexual person could sponsor a spouse.

Now Velandia is facing possible deportation and could be returned to his home country after a hearing May 6.

Some members of Congress want to repeal the law, and many advocates expect a federal court will invalidate it. But neither measure is likely to happen quickly.

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20110405/us-same-sex-couples-deportation/

[joeybee12]

1. Do it! KNR

Can I say something flippant? This country needs more salsa dancers!

[ThomCat]

2. They won't defend it in court, but they'll continue to enforce it.

Of course, a whole lot of people saw that announcement that the administration would no longer defend DOMA in court as proof that Obama is truly the "fierce advocate" that he claimed to be.

Just like the fact that he signed the repeal of DADT was supposedly proof too, even though he was defending DADT in court at the time, and did nothing to help the bill repealing DADT get to his own desk.

So will he act like an advocate and halt enforcement?

Now?

Soon?

Eventually?

At the very end of his second term?

If I had to bet, I'd say probably sometime in the second half of his second term. He won't want to be seen doing too much to advance our rights too quickly or too often. He'd consider that to be bad for his reputation among Christians and moderates.

[MNBrewer]

3. "God's in the mix", after all

[TheWraith]

4. You want to look at things a certain way.

"and did nothing to help the bill repealing DADT get to his own desk."

Except that he had been advertising for months that he had a plan to get it done, and guess what--it got done. Either you can believe he has NO influence and therefore had no way to either get it passed or not get it passed, or you can believe that he had control of Congress and therefore deserves credit for getting it done.

In reality, of course, he knew the situation would give the best odds during the lame duck session, and he picked his battles.

"So will he act like an advocate and halt enforcement?"

You mean, refuse to enforce the laws of the United States? Sort of like the Bush admin refusing to enforce the laws against torture? No dice. You're not allowed as President to decide what is and isn't the law.

[MNBrewer]

5. Obama seems to have no qualms about refusing to enforce laws against torture

why should this be any different? Oh yeah, it's teh gays.