Congressman Calls for LGBT-Inclusive Immigration Reform

In a column published by The Hill this afternoon, California Rep. Mike Honda (D) called on his fellow lawmakers to pass broad immigration reform that incorporates same-sex couples.

According to Honda, the need for comprehensive and bipartisan immigration reform is now, but such reform must be inclusive to the continued struggles that face same-sex couples.

Following President Barack Obama's reelection earlier this month, which saw 71 percent of Hispanic voters cast their ballots for Obama rather than Mitt Romney, Republicans have sought to reevaluate their relationship with growing minority populations. Honda argues that these numbers demonstrate the need to prioritize immigration reform.
"In addition to unjust family separation, our broken immigration system does not extend immigrant rights to same-sex partners, and LGBT families are left out of the immigration system," Honda wrote. "The LGBT community’s triumph on Tuesday represents progress for immigrant rights."