OPEN ARMS

Obama's Immigration Reform Plan Includes Same-Sex Couples

News reports say the president will take on the issue left out by the proposed Senate version

Jan 29, 2013 by Lisa Fine

Staff Writer t

Image: AP

President Obama will include rights for same-sex couples in his immigration reform plan, even though a version proposed by a Senate group left out the issue, news reports say.

Advocates have long pushed for gay and lesbian Americans who have immigrant partners to gain the same access to green cards as heterosexual couples. Under current rules, even if a same-sex couple is considered married under state law, the immigrant partners have found their green card applications denied, forcing the couples to have to separate or leave the country, Buzzfeed reports.

The version of the immigration reform plan proposed by a Senate group left out the issue in order to achieve bipartisan support. Advocates were told it would be included later in the process, Buzzfeed said.

Obama's inclusion of same-sex couples could draw opposition from Catholic and Baptist groups that have been otherwise supportive of comprehensive reform. Whether that pushback could impair the entire legislation remains to be seen, the Atlantic Wire reports.

Obama is expected to unveil his immigration reform plan Tuesday that includes a path to citizenship for 11 million undocumented immigrants.

Via Buzzfeed and the Atlantic Wire

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Jan '13
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Jan '13

jessejaymes

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I simply don't care since I don't support amnesty anyhow unless the person seeking amnesty is willing to give up their allegiance to their home country and can demonstrate a passable ability to converse in English and can prove they will work.
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Jan '13

stepped_in_it

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Check.....check and check. Ya mean an understandable working American instead of a unintelligible parasite foreigner......lol
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Jan '13

jessejaymes

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@stepped_in_it You got me again.
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Jan '13

Neo_NtheMatrix

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Say it with me everybody: Sad, so sad....
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Jan '13

woodtick57

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yes, many people of the far right evangelical lunatic fringe are very sad in their ideals of bigotry and prejudice...very sad...
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Jan '13

OhWiseOne

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Legalizing invaders and fruit loops. So sad indeed.
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Jan '13
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Jan '13

Jet_Silverman

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Yeah, conservatives hate the idea of equal treatment under the law. You know, the 14th Amendment.
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Jan '13

Neo_NtheMatrix

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@Jet_Silverman - What conservative said that?
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Jan '13

DARSB

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Irritating Catholics and Baptists is just frosting on the cake of doing the right thing.
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Jan '13

OhWiseOne

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Uh oh. Sounds like someone had a rough childhood.
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Jan '13

DerivePI

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If this goes through, some enterprising baptist would do well to set up shop on the Rio and sell pink robes.
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Jan '13

DARSB

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@OhWiseOne Still have scars on the knuckles from Sister Mary Elephant's ruler.
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Jan '13

NormalFlora

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@DARSB The nuns abused all the kids in my wife's school too. What they did in the '60s and '70s would put them in prison today. She calls nuns "demon bitches from hell."
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Jan '13

DARSB

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@NormalFlora Ours were "Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary", or "BVMs," so naturally we called them "Black Veiled Monsters."
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Jan '13

Avaholic90

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they're two different topics. to me its like asking if i want water in my beer. keep them separate. if people want to live here do it the right way. go through the process to become legal. my great-great-grandparents did it. and if gays want to get married who gives a crap. just let them. why the hell is gay marriage a big deal? i don't agree with it but im not going to stand in someones way of being happy
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Jan '13

Denizen_Kate

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"... go through the process to become legal." One of those processes to become legal is to marry a U.S. citizen. If same sex couples are included in immigration reform, then those who have been living with U.S. citizens in committed relationships will be allowed to marry, thereby becoming legal residents. That IS going through the process to become legal.
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Jan '13

AlexMIA

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It's a sepperate issue all together, why not propose a bill for same-sex couples in general? I wonder what other differences Obama's immigration reform has as opposed to the BIPARTISAN ONE proposed by the senate? Hmmm...eyebrow raised!
- B2 • Vote Up r9 Replies
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Jan '13

Knightkore

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Agreed....why tie the issues together now when immigration reform is close to be passed?
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Jan '13

cleverusername

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@Knightmare @alexmia

hmmm makes one wonder
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Jan '13

AlexMIA

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@Knightmare I'll take it a step further! What if it passes? Does that mean only gay immigrants get their civil rights? What about the rest of them? I don't know if you'll agree with me or not. But unlike the left that wants to take away rights for some and not for others (in order for votes). I believe in due rights for all, whether they are civil rights or constitutional rights. I would support a seperate bill for gay rights in general. I'm not gay and yes I am an ''evil'' conservative.
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Jan '13

Knightkore

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@AlexMIA Agreed....
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Jan '13

Speedieg

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@AlexMIA I think your missing the point or just dont care. What the legislation would allow is for gay citizens to sponsor their same sex partners for for the purposes of legal residence. Some are legally married in their countries of origin or in states that allow marriage here but their US born spouses have no status in the eyes of the federal Goverment. Any straight guy gone saunter off for a mail order bride and the government falls all over themselves to bless the union but if its a loving Gay or Lesbian couple they are treated like trash. The hatred toward gays is very evident based on the number of comments removed from any gay related posts on this site.
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Jan '13

puppybrownie

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Since legal gay marriage is a nebulous issue, I see a hugh opportunity for phony marriages for money or just to get green cards for friends.
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Jan '13

woodtick57

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how is legal marriage between two same sex people any different than any other marriage, vis-a-vis your claim of nebulosity? Please be specific...
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Jan '13

AceLuby

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This is an absolute no brainer. Of course couples that are married by the state should have the same rights as any other couple married by the state, which includes green cards for those that aren't citizens.
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Jan '13

OhWiseOne

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Where's the option for no to both?
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Jan '13
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Jan '13

Jet_Silverman

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Let anybody who wants to become a citizen become one.
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Jan '13

cleverusername

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anyone?
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Jan '13

Jet_Silverman

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@cleverusername Yep, anyone.
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Jan '13

WattheTyler

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I agree. We need open borders.
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Jan '13

bigblock

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I'm waiting for the Preezy' s energy plan, which will probably include "rights" for the homosexual's too. Why doesn't he just come out of the closet now?
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Jan '13
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Jan '13

kathyparsell

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I am really more concerned about the economy than the sexual orientation of an immigrant.
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Jan '13

tomincali

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this is only done to try and draw more support for his shamnesty.
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Jan '13

Ashstop

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Good example of why things bog down, everyone attaches pork to bills till we have to finance bridges to nowhere, studies of mating habits of field rats etc to get anything passed!
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Jan '13

Politic-n

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More political pandering, nothing of substance here.
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Jan '13

commonsense51

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Is it possible for this phony president to get any more ridiculous? He was supposedly against gay marriage before his first election. Now, all of a sudden he is some activist pro Gay everything. Never before has any president mentioned homosexuality in his inauguration speech. Why is it that Democrat's must push their anti God pro Gay agenda constantly? Why do Gays get special mention constantly? We have hundreds of groups of people being insulted, denigrated, lack of equal rights but you never hear these pious phony Democrats speaking out on their behalf. No only Gays get special treatment. It is a joke what Liberals do and Obama is the king of liberals. We have commercials swpeaking to insults on Gays and how we stupid people should not use the word gay in a negative meaning. LOL, can you believe their agendas? How about fat people, skinny people, short people, handicapped people, etc. Where is their special mention when it comes to people who insult them.
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Jan '13

SavageMazx

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I think these are two hugely different issues. I dont particulaly care about same sex right now....close the borders and quit letting em in, then deal with the ones that are here already....
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Jan '13

bsking

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I wonder if we'll ever find out the truth why he had to fly to Vegas to make that speech with da Union boys.. I bet he had to deliver money for the votes he bought.

Kinda reminds me of the sudden trip he took the Florida just before the election but then suddenly came right back to Washington without any scheduled visit . not like an honest man to take a trip like that on the taxpayer dime for absolutely no reason
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Jan '13

tomincali

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wasn't it in vegas where the food service illegals threatened to put feces in the food?
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Jan '13

mwr

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how about all these great illegals go home and fix their own countries rather than demanding my country change to suit thier needs?
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Jan '13

ConserveUSA

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Obama needs to reform himself in not breaking the Constitution.
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