Senate to convene first-ever hearing on immigration equality By Newswire 12:42pm EDT (Washington, DC) On Wednesday morning, the Senate Judiciary Committee hold the first-ever Congressional hearing on obstacles faced by lesbian and couples under. immigration law. Senator Leahy (D-VT), chairman of the committee, has scheduled a 10. hearing on the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA). The, sponsored by Leahy in the Senate and Congressman Nadler (D-NY) in the House, would modify immigration policy to end discrimination against lesbian and Americans who want to sponsor their permanent partners for residency in the United States. Such couples are often separated, or torn apart, because current. law does not allow for the same sponsorship rights for lesbian and citizens as for heterosexuals. “Every day, an estimated 36, binational couples, nearly half of whom are raising, are facing separation, or already living separately, because our country refuses to treat them equally under the law,” said B. Tiven, executive director of Immigration Equality. “These loving, committed families are faced with an untenable choice between the person they and the country they. are forced to uproot their lives and leave their extended families, jobs and communities behind. It is past time that Congress fixed our broken immigration system, including this pervasive discrimination against so families. Senator Leahy’s hearing, coming just as President and Congress prepare to address comprehensive immigration reform, is a step in the right direction.” Wednesday’s hearing feature Tan, a Filipina mother of 12-year-old twins from Pacifica, Calif., who is facing deportation despite having been with her partner for 23 years. Though Tan’s and partner are American citizens, she cannot be sponsored for residency because her partner is female. Unless Congress takes action to pass UAFA, Tan be forced to return to the Philippines.