VICTORY! Obama Administration Recognizes Marriages of Gay and Lesbian Binational Couples, Expanding Deportation Policy to LGBT Families

Yesterday, in a statement to BuzzFeed, Deputy Press Secretary for the Department of Homeland Security announced a surprising shift in the policy of the Obama administration with respect to married same-sex couples facing deportation: "[W]hen exercising prosecutorial discretion in enforcement matters, DHS looks at the totality of the circumstances presented in individual cases, including whether an...

Stop the Deportations • Aug 3, 2012

Victory for Monica & Cristina! Government Closes Deportation Case Against Married Lesbian Couple in New York

For the first time since the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) November 17 announcement that a national "working group" had begun reviewing all cases currently pending in immigration courts, Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) has closed a deportation case involving a married same-sex couple. Although the latest DHS "prosecutorial discretion" guidance still did not explicity include LG...

Stop the Deportations • Dec 6, 2011

Can the U.S. Government Recognize True Love? Married New Yorkers, Brandon and Luke, Join Fight Against DOMA

I will fight for my right to sponsor my husband for a "green card," a privilege heterosexual Americans take for granted. With President Obama's recent decision not to defend DOMA and signals from the Department of Homeland Security about protecting LGBT families from being torn apart by deportation, we believe that this is the time to challenge our exclusion from the family-based immigration syste...

Stop the Deportations • Nov 29, 2011

ICE Denies Brian & Anton's Request for Deferred Action, Refuses to Stop the Deportation

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office in Philadelphia has refused to stop the deportation that would separate Anton Tanumihardja, an Indonesian citizen, from his American husband, Brian Andersen, despite new guidelines issued by the Obama administration that are intended to set aside all low-priority deportation cases and keep all families together - including gay and lesbian couple...

Stop the Deportations • Oct 7, 2011

The First Big Test: Will The Obama Administration's New Deportation Rules Come in Time for Brian & Anton?

Brian and Anton's case will be the first real test of the administration's commitment to stop deportations involving same-sex binational couples since the August 18 announcement by DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano, promising to set-aside low-priority deportation cases. It will also give us a first opportunity to confirm whether individual ICE Deportation Officers implement the LGBT-inclusive prosecu...

Stop the Deportations • Aug 31, 2011

HISTORIC VICTORY: Immigration & Customs Enforcement Closes Deportation Proceedings Against Henry Velandia

On June 29 Henry Velandia and Josh Vandiver received the news that the Newark Immigration Court had granted a Motion by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement Chief Counsel, Jane Minichiello, to administratively close deportation proceedings that had been first initiated in 2009. ...

Stop the Deportations • Jun 30, 2011

Victory for Josh & Henry: Judge Halts Deportation Proceedings, Citing Pending Marriage-Based Petition and Recent Decision by Attorney General

The Immigration Judge adjourned deportation proceedings against Henry Velandia on the grounds that the marriage-based green card petition filed by Joshua Vandiver was still pending and because of the potential implications of a move by Attorney General Eric Holder in a related case that may signal a shift in the Administration's interpretation of the law as it concerns same-sex bi-national couples...

Stop the Deportations • May 7, 2011

Down to the Wire for Josh & Henry: ICE Refuses to Terminate Deportation Proceedings, Citing DOMA

Last week the Chief Counsel for ICE denied our request to terminate proceedings against Henry, citing DOMA. ICE asserts that because Josh's pending petition for Henry's green card will eventually be denied because of DOMA it wouldn't be "appropriate" to entertain our request to slow down or terminate these proceedings. But by blaming DOMA, ICE misses the point of our request. Obviously, we are a...

Stop the Deportations • May 3, 2011

Congressman Rush Holt to Secretary Janet Napolitano: Stop the Deportation of Henry Velandia

In the first letter of its kind since the administration changed its position on the Defense of Marriage Act, Representative Rush Holt (D-NJ) urges Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to "immediately resolve" the deportation case currently impacting his constituents, Josh Vandiver and Henry Velandia, and to halt all deportations involving married gay and lesbian binational c...

Stop the Deportations • Apr 6, 2011