Deportation Proceedings Dropped Against Same-Sex Partner
Federal officials canceled the deportation proceedings of a Venezuelan man married to an American man this week in a closely watched case in New Jersey.
Lawyer and advocates—who viewed the matter as a test of the federal government’s position on the Defense of Marriage Act—herald the move as a significant shift in policy toward new, more effective guidelines governing the deferral and cancellation of deportations for other immigrants in same-sex marriages, the New York Times reports.
“This action shows that the government has not only the power but the inclination to do the right thing when it comes to protecting certain vulnerable populations from deportation,” said the couple’s lawyer, Lavi Soloway.
Although advocates asked the administration to postpone all deportations for same-sex married couples until the courts decided whether the marriage act—which bars the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages—was constitutional, the administration has said it would continue to enforce the law, according to the Times.
