Miami Beach Commission: Pass United American Families Act and keep gay families togethe
The Miami Beach Commission has passed a resolution supporting the United American Families Act, which would permit gay life partners from other countries to petition for permanent residency in the United States.
Miami Beach Commissioner Michael Gongora asked City Manager Jorge Gonzalez to put the resolution on the April 14 commission agenda. The resolution passed unanimously, Gongora says.
The resolution specifically calls on U.S. Sens. Bill Nelson and George LeMieux and Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, all of Florida, to publicly support the United American Families Act.
Read Gongora’s letter to Gonzalez and the resolution:
Background on the Uniting American Families Act
The Uniting American Families Act (UAFA, H.R. 1024, S. 424) is a U.S. bill to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to eliminate discrimination in the immigration laws by permitting permanent partners of United States citizens and lawful permanent residents to obtain lawful permanent resident status in the same manner as spouses of citizens and lawful permanent residents and to penalize immigration fraud in connection with permanent partnerships.[1][2]
The UAFA was introduced during the 111th Congress, to the United States House of Representatives on February 12, 2009, by New York Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY).[3] There are currently 122 cosponsors of this bill in the United States House of Representatives.[4] Shirley Tan is a leading activist for the bill.[5]
The full text of the UAFA, further expanded to provide rights to the children or stepchildren of the foreign-born partner, is included as Title II of the Reuniting Families Act (H.R. 2709), an immigration reform bill, introduced in the United States House of Representatives on June 4, 2009, by California Congressman Michael Honda (D-CA).[6][7]
The UAFA was introduced in the United States Senate on February 12, 2009, by Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT).[8] There are currently 23 cosponsors of this bill in the United States Senate.[9]
