Judge grants deportation reprieve for same-sex spouse of citizen

[brooklynite]

Source: Yahoo.com

In America's often unnavigable immigration system, one course of action tends to yield reliable results: Marry a U.S. citizen, and you can stay.

But that's not the case for gay immigrants. An American who marries a same-sex immigrant in one of the states that allow gay marriage cannot sponsor his or her spouse for a green card, due to the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).

That's why it's surprising that Alex Benshimol--a 47-year-old Venezuelan who over-stayed his visa and married his American spouse Doug Gentry--has just been granted a two-year deportation reprieve from immigration judge Marilyn Teeter in San Francisco. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has 60 days to pursue the deportation or let it drop altogether. The judge has scheduled the next hearing in 2013 if ICE moves forward.

"We just want to be married like anyone else," Gentry said outside the courtroom, according to The San Francisco Examiner. "We don't want anything special, just to be the same, to be equal."

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/judge-grants-deportation-reprieve-same-sex-spouse-citizen-200310361.html

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Before someone complains about why the Obama Administration is enforcing DOMA in this case, the answer is: because it's still the law. Unless you want to support a Republican President's right to ignore laws he or she finds inconvenient, this is the reality we have to live with...for now.

[dsc]

1. funny he was perfectly willing to ignore the law for straight couples

One of the rules that has to be followed for a marriage to permit a person to stay in the country is that the marriage must last at least 3 years. Some number of straight immigrants had the misfortune of having their American spouses die before the 3 years were up. It took Congress some time to pass a law letting those people stay. While that law was being passed, Obama's immigration department stopped all such deportations. But those were straight folk.

[Divine Discontent]

2. shh... you know you're to remain silent. lol

your facts do not fit the fantasyworld, and aid the repuke enemy! don't you see?

:fistbump: