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Anton & Brian, Bob & husband (Canada), Brad & Raul, Brandon & Luke, Brian & Alfonso, Carrie & Claire, Christopher & Arthur, Dan & Alex, Donald & Arthur, Edwin & Rodrigo, Francisco & Bert, Inger & Philippa, Jackie & Gloria, Jenny & Ottie, Jesse & Max, Mark & Frederic, Mia & US Partner, Michael & Craig, Monica & Cristina, Richard & Jair, Sally & US Spouse, Tom & Emilio, Violeta & Sujey,

Victory! Boston Immigration Judge Grants Reprieve To Dwayne and Bolivar, Postpones Deportation Proceedings

May 17th, 2012

Today, a Boston Immigration Judge postponed further deportation proceedings for Dwayne and Bolivar, a married, gay binational couple who have lived together in rural Maine for almost ten years. Overruling the strenuous objection of the ICE Assistant Chief Counsel, the Judge scheduled the next hearing for October 2012; at that time a final hearing will likely be scheduled for a...

Dwayne & Bolivar: After Nine Years Together, Married Maine Couple Heads to Immigration Court on May 17 to Fight DOMA Deportation

May 12th, 2012

Almost a decade ago, I finally escaped one of the most discriminatory countries in Latin America for gay men -- Venezuela. Being gay in Venezuela was never an option for me, and it never will be. On August 18, 2002, I was lucky enough to find myself in Ogunquit, Maine. I was lucky, because on that day I met Dwayne. I had been dancing at...

Sign Our Petition to President Obama: Stop Denying Our Green Card Petitions, Stop Tearing Apart LGBT Families

March 20th, 2012

SIGN OUR PETITION BELOW TO SAVE BRIAN & ALFONSO'S MARRIAGE TAKE A STAND FOR ALL COUPLES FACING DEPORTATION, SEPARATION OR EXILE BECAUSE OF DOMA In San Francisco on March 22, Brian Willingham and Alfonso Garcia will face the worst nightmare of any gay or lesbian binational couple: a deportation hearing in a federal Immigration Court. Brian and Alfonso are legally married, but their relationship...

With Two Days Left in Denver Pilot Program, Married Lesbian Couple Facing Deportation Waits Anxiously. Will Their Case Be Administratively Closed?

January 11th, 2012

A lesbian couple is sitting on the edge of their seats at home in Denver waiting for the telephone to ring. Right now, a call from federal immigration attorneys could bring to an end the nightmare Sujey and Violeta Pando have been living ever since Immigration and Customs Enforcement came into their lives in 2008. There are only two days...

Showdown with DOMA: Mark & Fred Meet With USCIS and Fight for Their Family at Green Card Interview in Philadelphia

January 10th, 2012

After 22 Years Together, Married Gay Couple With Four Adopted Children Fights For Their Marriage And Their Family In Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Mark Himes & Frédéric Deloizy Are on the Front Lines of The Fight Against DOMA FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Press Inquiries to attorney, Lavi Soloway , Masliah & Soloway, PC Founder, Stop The Deportations – The DOMA Project Phone 323-599-6915 Lavi.Soloway@Masliah-Soloway.com or Derek.Tripp@StopTheDeportations.com January 10, 2012 – NEW YORK, NEW...

22 Years After They First Met, Gay Dads and Their Four Children Fight DOMA To Keep Their Family Together

January 9th, 2012

We are Mark and Frédéric. After more than 20 years, four children, and three houses, we are still unsure of our future. Like any other parents in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania where we live, we spend our days taking care of our family, making sure that our children are loved, happy, healthy and are learning the skills and values that will give them the...

Victory for Monica & Cristina! Government Closes Deportation Case Against Married Lesbian Couple in New York

December 6th, 2011

Immigration & Customs Enforcement Closes Deportation Case Against Argentinean Lesbian, Monica Alcota, Based on Ties to Community Including Marriage to her Spouse, Cristina Ojeda First Case of a Married Gay Couple Closed Since New DHS’ November 17 Announcement That “Working Group” Would Begin to Implement Prosecutorial Guidelines Nationwide For the first time since the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) November 17 announcement...

Can the U.S. Government Recognize True Love? Married New Yorkers, Brandon and Luke, Join Fight Against DOMA

November 28th, 2011

More Than Just Friends Luke and I had been best friends for a couple of years when we faced a decision that many gay friends confront: Whether to take our relationship to a romantic level. We soon learned that as a binational couple, we would face even greater challenges. Luke was the first person I met when I moved to New York...

Jackie and Gloria: Married Lesbian Couple in Massachusetts Fights Deportation to Pakistan That Would Tear Them Apart

November 22nd, 2011

Gloria and I met at college three years ago when we were assigned as roommates. She was an international student from Pakistan and I was born and raised in Massachusetts. Despite our cultural differences we had an instant connection since the first day. For the first few months we explored Boston together and our friendship grew stronger and deeper until...

ICE Denies Brian & Anton's Request for Deferred Action, Refuses to Stop the Deportation - Obama Administration New LGBT-Inclusive Policy Fails to Stop DOMA Deportation

October 7th, 2011

Philadelphia Deportation Officers Deny Request By Gay Binational Couple For "Deferred Action" ICE Refuses to Apply New Obama Administration Deportation Guidelines to Stop "DOMA Deportation" of Gay Indonesian Married to U.S. Citizen In a First Test of New Deportation Policy Meant to Set Aside Low Priority Cases, Including for LGBT Families, the Obama Administration Fails to Deliver PHILADELPHIA, OCTOBER 7, 2011 – The...

Brian & Anton Face Final Deportation Decision on Oct 7 Will New Guidelines Protect This Gay Couple As Promised?

September 30th, 2011

Read this excellent article by Jen Coletta yesterday in the Phildelphia Gay News here and GLAAD's blog posting urging action in support of Brian and Anton here. See also, our previous summary, The First Big Test: Will The Obama Administration’s New Deportation Rules Come in Time for Brian & Anton?...

Together for 8 Years and Married, Donald and Arthur Face DOMA Deportation Proceedings in Miami Tomorrow

September 7th, 2011

Stop the Deportations co-founder, Lavi Soloway, will appear in a Miami courtroom on Thursday September 8 to fight for the right of Donald and Arthur to remain together in this country. Arthur has lived in this country for over 16 years, and if it were not for DOMA he would already have a green card. We will make the court...

The First Big Test: Will The Obama Administration’s New Deportation Rules Come in Time for Brian & Anton?

August 30th, 2011

Brian & Anton will spend the next 38 days waiting for a phone call from ICE that may never come. For the second time this year, Anton Tanumihardja, an Indonesian citizen, and his American husband, Brian Andersen, face the terrifying prospect of a deportation that will destroy their marriage. After losing a nine-year legal battle for asylum, Anton was given a...

Monica & Cristina Take DOMA Deportation Fight to Board of Immigration Appeals, Challenging a 29-Year Old Precedent

July 22nd, 2011

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MSNBC: Binational Couples Fighting for Full Marriage Equality and for the Right to Stay In the U.S.

July 22nd, 2011

See full article here....

Monica & Cristina Fight for Their Marriage at the Board of Immigration Appeals, As NYC Celebrates Marriage Equality

July 20th, 2011

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U.S. Embassy in Sydney Denies Christopher's Request to Visit Arthur, Enforcing 10-Year Bar With No Mercy

July 20th, 2011

Christopher and Arthur fight a technicality that keeps them apart, despite their 14-year relationship An update from Christopher Joseph whose heart-breaking story of a 10,000 mile separation from his partner, Arthur, was posted here on April 10, 2011. Christopher and Arthur met and fell in love in the United States 14 years ago, but following incorrect advice from an attorney, Christopher...

Stop The Deportations Teams Up With Lambda Legal: Fighting DOMA at the Board of Immigration Appeals

July 15th, 2011

Lambda Legal Files Amicus Brief To Urge Immigration Officials to Stop DOMA Deportation of Monica Alcota, and All Same-Sex Binational Couples Cristina Ojeda and Monica Alcota On July 11, Lambda Legal Defense joined the fight to stop the government from tearing apart Cristina Ojeda and Monica Alcota, a married, binational lesbian couple in Queens, New York. The nation's oldest and most respected...

After Marrying, Brian & Anton File Spousal Green Card Petition and Continue Their Fight Against Deportation

June 15th, 2011

Getting Married in DCby Brian AndersenIn February, we were saved from a Valentine's Day deportation by the tremendous, non-stop, round the clock efforts of Lavi Soloway and the Stop the Deportations campaign.At the time Anton and I were not married, but we had been dating for seven months and we felt that we had a very strong connection. We were...

Across from the White House, Brian & Anton Get Married

June 13th, 2011

The happily married couple in Lafayette Park Sunday afternoon ...

Andrew Sullivan: DOMA Tearing a Marriage Apart

June 8th, 2011

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AmericaBlog: DOMA Rips Apart Married Binational Couples

June 8th, 2011

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QUEERTY: Cristina & Monica Face DOMA Deportation Hearing in December, They Need Repeal Now!

June 8th, 2011

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Cristina & Monica Featured in Video Highlighting DOMA's Harm on Married Binational Couple Fighting Deportation

June 8th, 2011

Today Freedom to Marry released a video produced in partnership with In The Life Media telling the moving story of Cristina Alcota and Monica Ojeda, who, though legally married, face deportation or separation because the so-called Defense of Marriage Act denies married same-sex couples immigration protections. (Scroll down to view the video in Spanish, or to view in Spanish with English...

Binational Couples Forced to Choose: Love or Country?

June 6th, 2011

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Los Angeles Times: Same-Sex Couples In Exile Find Rough Road to Immigration, Featuring DOMA Project Participants

June 6th, 2011

Los Angeles Times reporter Paloma Esquivel worked for months interviewing binational couples in exile who are participants in our project to fight back against DOMA. She has featured the stories of Jesse and Max in London and Linas and Jan in Stockholm. The full article is here. Read latest update on Jesse and Max here....

Donald & Arthur: Together for 8 Years, Married Florida Couple Receives Notice of Deportation Proceedings

May 10th, 2011

Donald and Arthur will appear in Immigration Court in Miami on July 14 for a deportation hearing. Please help us save their marriage! Arthur and I met just after he had lost someone very important in his life. I was a shopkeeper, and later the assistant manager for a video and clothing store where Arthur shopped for music primarily. At that same...

OutFront Colorado: DOMA Separates Inger & Philippa

May 10th, 2011

Lives on hold: Lesbian couple, one of thousands, torn apart by DOMA, immigration policy By Nic Garcia Philippa, a British woman, and her partner, Coloradan Inger Knudson, embrace each other. The two haven't seen each other in nearly eight months. When Coloradan Inger Knudson committed her life to Philippa, an English woman, atop Lookout Mountain in 2009, the last thing she feared was...

Francisco & Bert: Married and Living in Exile in Stockholm for 12 Years With No End in Sight

May 9th, 2011

I'm one of the lucky ones. I live in a country, Sweden, where as the American half of a binational gay couple, I was welcomed with open arms and got a green card with a minimum of fuss nearly 12 years ago. So my husband, Francisco, and I haven't had to suffer any separation from each other except for the...

Michael Denied Entry to the U.S. Today, Craig Will Move to Canada So They Can Be Together

May 8th, 2011

Michael and Craig have been together for five years. They married in Canada in November 2006.Five years ago I met a wonderful man online. For almost a year we got to know each other by communicating on line and by phone. At a certain point, I felt ready to meet him and see what would happen. I was in Vancouver,...

UPDATE: Carrie & Claire, Married for 5 Years, Struggle to Share Three Months Together in One Country

May 8th, 2011

Carrie and Claire at their September 2007 weddingAt the time of our last post, November 2010, Claire was unemployed and in the UK, searching for any work with no success. In December 2010, she ran across a position that looked and sounded perfect.Claire did beautifully in the interview and felt really good about her chances. Sadly, the position...

DOMA's Cruel Impact: Married Gay Couple Forced to Live in Separate Countries and Visit Each Other

April 29th, 2011

My husband, Bob, and I met three years ago through an online dating site. I am 50 and he is 52. On April 25, we celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary apart—talking over Skype. We were married here in my home province of Nova Scotia, Canada. I know this may sound cliché, but it was the happiest day of our...

Exiled in Ecuador, Brad & Raúl Try to Plan for a Future Together

March 16th, 2011

Brad and RaúlWe first posted Brad and Raúl's story back in November. Recently Brad contacted sent us this update.July 29, 2010 was a bittersweet day. That day was the culmination of my two years as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ecuador. I had a lot to be proud of. Over those two years, I facilitated a number...

Love in the Time of Deportation: After 8 Years Together, Edwin & Rodrigo Have Five Days Left to Save Their Marriage

March 4th, 2011

Edwin Echegoyen and Ricardo Martinez were married by Professor Ed Ingebretsen on March 1, 2011Ingebretsen was ordained as a Jesuit Priest in 1981and is outspoken on issues of religion and culture.Edwin Echegoyen and Rodrigo Martinez were married on the promenade outside the D.C. Superior Court on March 1 before a group of two dozen friends, family and co-workers. Immediately after...

Jesse & Max Celebrate Their Tenth Anniversary

January 26th, 2011

This month we proudly celebrate our tenth anniversary.It's been an amazing decade, for which we thank all of our friends and family who have nourished our relationship through the years. That nourishment was essential, given the obstacles imposed by the United States government. We never had the luxury to ease into our relationship as we were forced to...

A Sister's Plea: Let Jesse & Max Come Back

January 24th, 2011

Perhaps we do not write enough about the love between siblings, but few relationships can be as precious since siblings are there from the beginning of time. Siblings mark a lifetime together that transcends the parental bond in a unique way. Tear away siblings from each other and gone are the shared memories of childhood. There is just no other...

DEPORTED: Forced into Exile, Tom & Emilio Fight to Return But DOMA Stands in Their Way

January 3rd, 2011

Tom and Emilio met in 2001 in New York City. A year earlier, like so many other gay men from his country, Emilio had left Venezuela in search of a better life in the U.S. As Tom and Emilio fell in love and set out to plan a future together as a couple, they abruptly ran into the cold, hard...

Binational Lesbian Couple of 19 Years, Forced Return to the Netherlands after Deportation

December 29th, 2010

It has been a year since Jenny and Ottie were forced to leave their home in Delaware and return to The Netherlands. As we close out the year, we thought it was only appropriate to recall their tremendous effort to raise awareness of the plight of binational couples. We wish Jenny and Ottie well as they celebrate their 20th...

Binational Couple Torn Apart: Gay Peruvian Man Deported After Two Months in Detention

December 24th, 2010

Deportation is every binational couple's nightmare scenario. Stories like the one depicted in this excellent article serve to remind us of the reality of deportation. The couple pictured here, Richard and Jair, waged a courageous and exhausting fight to stay together. Their fight would have been unnecessary if lesbian and gay couples were afforded equal rights under our immigration laws. We...

Inger and Philippa Prepare for Another Christmas on Webcam: Love Without Borders

December 15th, 2010

At the end of a visit, Philippa hugs their ten-year old daughter who knows her as MumHere we are, with the holidays quickly approaching. My daughter and I are trying to prepare and take pleasure in the season. Sounds happy enough, except for the fact that my wife, the woman my daughter calls “Mum,” is 5,000 miles and 7...

A Mother's Failing Health: Lesbian Couple Caught Between America and Australia

December 5th, 2010

I am an American woman in love. While I have met my soulmate, I have also found that in my relationship with my country, my country seems to be rejecting me.Mia and I started dating in August 2007 while I was living and working in Australia. By the time our relationship developed into a romantic one, we had already...

An American Grandmother and Her Wife, In Exile

December 2nd, 2010

Sally and I met in 2003 on an Internet message board at a time when we were both winding down marriages. I was in the process of a divorce after being married for 24 years and, defined for so long as wife and mother, I didn’t know what I was going to do with the rest of my life. One...

Another Thanksgiving Without Jesse & Max A Mother Speaks Out Against DOMA

November 21st, 2010

We are a small family, with very few close relatives, so I think that makes us unusually close to our children. We often say there is no one in the world we would rather spend time with, than our children, because we so enjoy their company. Given this, we are so deeply saddened that our son, Jesse, is...

Denver Post: Inger & Philippa Battle Separation

November 18th, 2010

"I don't want any special rights at all. All I want is to live with my family," says Philippa, 33. Via Skype, she helps do homework with the 10-year-old who calls her "Mum." People ask why they do it, pressing on with such a tough relationship. You can choose what you eat or wear, they answer. You don't choose who you fall...

Forced Into Exile, Jesse & Max Fight To Return: File Fiancé Visa Petition and Challenge DOMA

November 15th, 2010

I never imagined that what began as a typical night out on the town in Manhattan would mark the beginning of a most amazing journey with the love of my life.On that magical night in January 2001, I met Max in a nightclub. When he told me that he was visiting from Argentina and that it was his first day...

From Iowa to Ecuador: Peace Corps Volunteer Falls in Love, U.S. Denies His Partner a Visa

November 8th, 2010

Brad, Raul and Raul's sisterWe decided to share our story to let others know about the way in which discrimination can destroy young, new love. This December my partner and I will celebrate our first anniversary as a couple, but we will be in two different countries that are 3,000 miles from each other, and in many ways, worlds apart.Raul...

Carrie & Claire: Family Separated for Five Years

November 3rd, 2010

Carrie and Claire at their September 2007 wedding in Vancouver, CanadaCarrie Tucker is a 55-year old native Californian, a veteran of the United States Air Force and a former State of California employee. Carrie is also disabled, having had to take disability retirement after working and paying taxes her whole life. Carrie’s wife, Claire Pollard, is a 49-year-old British citizen...

Dan & Alex Struggle with Separation

November 1st, 2010

Even as a confessed hopeless romantic, I never really imagined falling in love while visiting another country. In May of 2008, I traveled to Brazil to study urban planning in several southern cities, including Saõ Paulo, Curitiba and Florianopolis. I was still smarting from a breakup and sorry if this sounds cliché, but I was reading Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray,...

Monica and Cristina: Binational Lesbian Couple in Queens Fights DOMA and Deportation

October 26th, 2010

See update here (March 21, 2011).Monica Alcota and Cristina Ojeda Exchanging VowsMy name is Cristina Ojeda and I am an American citizen. I work as a social worker and live with my wife, Monica Alcota, in Queens, New York. Monica is a citizen of Argentina, although she left that country many years ago because of anti-gay persecution, hoping to...

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