Gay Man in Civil Union Wins Deportation Reprieve; Holder Seeks Reconsideration

Attorney General Eric Holder has asked the Board of Immigration Appeals to reconsider a ruling allowing the deportation of a gay man who is in a civil union recognized by the state of New Jersey.

Holder asked the board to consider two questions in the deportation of Paul Wilson Dorman, report the Associated Press and the New York Daily News. First: Is Dorman considered a spouse under New Jersey’s civil union law? Second: Would Dorman be considered a spouse if it weren’t for the Defense of Marriage Act, which bans federal recognition of same-sex marriages?

President Obama decided in February that DOMA is unconstitutional and the administration will no longer defend the statute in court.