Immigration Reform May Include Same-Sex Couples

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Erwin de Leon got legally married to his partner, the Rev. John Beddingfield, in the District of Columbia this past April. D.C. and a handful of states now recognize same-sex unions.

But the married couple may face a dilemma in a year or two, when de Leon completes his doctorate. His student visa will then expire, and he may have to leave the U.S. for his native country, the Philippines.

"I cannot get a green card [for] staying in the U.S. because we are a same-sex couple," explained de Leon. "Different-sex couples can get married and apply for a green card. And they'll have it in a few months."

Federal law does not recognize same-sex unions for immigration, taxation, or inheritance purposes. They are also no survivors benefit from social security.

Some liberal Democrats in Congress are moving to change the law, at least for immigration purposes. "Right now, too many same-sex, bi-national couples face an impossible choice: to live apart, or to break the law to be with partners, their families, and their children," Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Illinois) told a news conference this week. "That's not good for them and it's not good for the rest of us, either."

The group of legislators is determined to give same-sex marriages the same immigration rights that heterosexual marriages get. They are planning to add that kind of language to a comprehensive immigration reform bill.

Proponents of immigration reform plan to push Congress to decide the issue before the November elections.