The Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) was introduced in 2009 to close a loophole in immigration law that discriminated against homosexuals. In brief, unmarried homosexual men and women in permanent relationships are not permitted to sponsor their undocumented partners for citizenship. This provision has become more controversial as the democrats have reached out to religious organizations to help in their fight for immigration reform. Sarah Posner writes:
On a teleconference last month with a loose coalition of white and Latino evangelical leaders, Sen. Charles Schumer, the New York Democrat who had recently unveiled a legislative proposal for comprehensive immigration reform, pleaded with participants to bring Republican senators to the table to hammer out a bipartisan package.
“You can play a vital role,” said Schumer. “You have great links to many of our Republican senators, they have great respect for you… Please, if you could help us get some Republicans to just sit in a room and talk with us, we could get a bill done this year.”
What wasn’t discussed on the call with Conservatives for Comprehensive Immigration Reform was that Schumer had gained the support of conservative evangelicals in part by telling them that the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA)—which would close a loophole that currently prevents US citizens in same-sex, committed relationships from sponsoring their undocumented partners for citizenship—would not be part of the comprehensive package, as he had originally proposed.
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