Don’t Ask, Can’t Tell: Immigration Inequality for Same-Sex Families

Same-sex marriages have been in the news for many months, and hit the front pages again earlier this week with the California Supreme Court’s refusal to invalidate the initiative known as Proposition 8.  One of the Immigration & Nationality Act’s primary purposes, it is often said, is family reunification.  Angelo Papparelli on Nation of Immigrators reminds us of a big limitation on the U.S. immigration laws’ commitment to family reunification amd reports that the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy is not limited to the U.S. military:  “Inexplicably, while America prohibits same-sex family unity for green-card purposes, it allows committed life partners to come to this country, and remain for sometimes prolonged periods, as visitors, if the foreign life partner can prove that s/he won’t stay permanently. Don’t ask (me to explain), because I can’t tell (why).”

KJ