Statement from Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano: “After last week’s decision by the Supreme Court holding that Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional, President Obama directed federal departments to ensure the decision and its implication for federal benefits for same-sex legally married couples are implemented swiftly and smoothly. To […]
By: Maureen Johnson* Recent polls and statements by political leaders including President Obama demonstrate a growing trend in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage. As of this writing, same-sex marriages are nationally recognized in 13 countries worldwide. Nine states and the District of Columbia allow gay marriage. Nevertheless, current laws in the majority of U.S. states […]
By: Margarita Baldwin* The Board of Immigration Appeals is leaning towards setting a precedent in Immigration law that would eventually allow or prevent immigrants from seeking adjustment of status based on same-sex marriage. Recently, three appeals and a motion to reopen were filed with the BIA on behalf of same-sex married couples that duly registered […]
By William Shwayri – law intern at Beach-Oswald Immigration Law Associates Lawmakers voted late Friday, June 24, 2011 to legalize same-sex marriage, making New York the largest state where gay and lesbian couples can wed, and giving the national gay-rights movement new momentum from the state where it was born. The same-sex marriage bill was […]
