S.F. gay married couple loses immigration battle

[Donnachaidh]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/08/08/BAO71KKPEC.DTL

Citing the Defense of Marriage Act, the Obama administration denied immigration benefits to a married gay couple from San Francisco and ordered the expulsion of a man who is the primary caregiver to his AIDS-afflicted spouse.

Bradford Wells, a U.S. citizen, and Anthony John Makk, a citizen of Australia, were married seven years ago in Massachusetts. They have lived together 19 years, mostly in an apartment in the Castro district. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services denied Makk's application to be considered for permanent residency as a spouse of an American citizen, citing the 1996 law that denies all federal benefits to same-sex couples.

The decision was issued July 26. Immigration Equality, a gay-rights group that is working with the couple, received the notice Friday and made it public Monday. Makk was ordered to depart the United States by Aug. 25. Makk is the sole caregiver for Wells, who has severe health problems.

"I'm married just like any other married person in this country," Wells said. "At this point, the government can come in and take my husband and deport him. It's infuriating. It's upsetting. I have no power, no right to keep my husband in this country. I love this country, I live here, I pay taxes and I have no right to share my home with the person I married."

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/08/08/BAO71KKPEC.DTL#ixzz1UdI15rVB

[CBGLuthier]

1. Change? Hope in one hand and ....see what gets filled first.

Nothing changes.

DOMA is fucking unconstitutional. Period. You don't even have to be a gifted constitutional lawyer to know that.

[Lance_Boyle]

2. The 'reasoning' behind the denial is sheer madness.

DOMA needs to hit the scrapheap of history sooner rather than later. That said, why did the gentleman from Australia not follow the proper immigration path 19 years ago? It's not hard to immigrate to the US from Australia. Doing things right up front would have saved them this nonsense. Choosing to live here as an illegal alien for 19 years is not a valid path to legal residency.

[lapislzi]

6. Read the article before opening your yap

Mr. Makk has never resided in the U.S. illegally. He is a property and business owner, and has legally resided here for many years under various visas.

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[izquierdista]

3. Not Obama's fault!

Defender squad will be here in 3......2......

[Marrah_G]

4. Fierce!

[Missy Vixen]

5. So, Mr. Wells will be moving to the White House, right?

I'm sure there's a spare bedroom for him there!

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