Just How Comprehensive Is the Proposed CIR?

Added: (Thu Feb 25 2010)

Pressbox (Press Release) - Just when people thought that the House had released an all encompassing proposal, a bill that was supposed to address everything it should, along came a loophole. There was no protection for lesbian and gay immigrants.

It was a comprehensive bill, and a very ambitious one dealing with family reunification policies for immigrants. “It was included in the total reform package with one glaring exception, the provisions relating to allowing same-sex partners of permanent residents to qualify for a Visa. This omission caused a furor of debate,” commented Sally Odell of Rifkin Fox-Isicoff, P.A., in Miami and Orlando, Florida.

On one side of this issue were Catholics, churches and evangelists none too impressed with this nod to acknowledge “sinning.” Interestingly enough, there were also rumbles coming from the Guiterrez Hispanic camp that indicated they didn’t want to deal with the issue and were thinking about passing it but not let it take effect for up to six years.

It’s odd that they thought that kind of compromise would work, since Hispanics vigorously opposed the Senate’s idea to impose a five year waiting period for immigrants to get health care benefits. “Delaying Visa approval for same-sex couples would likely draw more fire for a variety of reasons and so they arrived at a rather wishy-washy compromise where the amendment will be made a bill when it makes its way before the Judiciary Committee in February. The human rights problems this kind of attitude creates are phenomenal and it will be interesting to see how the matter does resolve,” Odell added.

It didn’t come as much of a surprise that the Hispanic camp denied, denied, denied the rumblings that they wanted to exclude same-sex couples. Instead they offered the rationale that same-sex partner issues just haven’t come up during other immigration reform debates and they are currently trying to figure out how to bring everyone together. It’s not really evident why they need to figure out how to bring “everyone together,” since gays and lesbians are “people” who have human rights, just like others.

It’s likely the comment referred to the “thou shalt not sin” camp versus the “everyone should be welcome” side of comprehensive immigration reform. Who knows how this one will turn out?