Senator Kerry Disputes DOMA Deportation

The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is causing more pain & hardship to a legally married lesbian couple in Massachusetts. One of the women is facing deportation to Pakistan because the federal government doesn’t recognize their marriage. However, Senator John Kerry has written a letter to the Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano in support of the couple. Kerry states that deportation would not only tear apart a legally married couple but would put the Pakistani woman in harm's way, "She is certain that if she is forced to return to Pakistan, her life will be in danger, not only because of her sexual orientation & her marriage to a United States citizen, but for religious reasons as well." Kerry's March 27th letter comes as the Federal Court of Appeals in Boston considers the challenge to the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act that doesn’t recognize same-gender marriages. It seems that the woman lost her student visa because she couldn’t afford to remain in college. Her wife filed a petition to sponsor her for a marriage based green card but the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services won’t approve the petition because it uses the Defense of Marriage Act's definition of marriage as between a man & a woman. Kerry is asking that the couple's petition be put on hold until the Defense of Marriage Act is repealed or the litigation challenging the law is settled. The delay would allow the Pakistani woman to stay in the United States until the legal battle is resolved. Let’s hope that Napolitano grants the stay against deportation. Updates to Come…:)

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