S.F. gay married couple loses immigration battle (husband is primary caregiver!)

[Duncan Grant]

Photo: Noah Berger / Special to The Chronicle


Citing the Defense of Marriage Act, the Obama administration denied immigration benefits to a married gay couple from San Francisco and ordered the expulsion of a man who is the primary caregiver to his AIDS-afflicted spouse.

Bradford Wells, a U.S. citizen, and Anthony John Makk, a citizen of Australia, were married seven years ago in Massachusetts. They have lived together 19 years, mostly in an apartment in the Castro district. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services denied Makk's application to be considered for permanent residency as a spouse of an American citizen, citing the 1996 law that denies all federal benefits to same-sex couples.

The decision was issued July 26. Immigration Equality, a gay-rights group that is working with the couple, received the notice Friday and made it public Monday. Makk was ordered to depart the United States by Aug. 25. Makk is the sole caregiver for Wells, who has severe health problems.

"I'm married just like any other married person in this country," Wells said. "At this point, the government can come in and take my husband and deport him. It's infuriating. It's upsetting. I have no power, no right to keep my husband in this country. I love this country, I live here, I pay taxes and I have no right to share my home with the person I married."

Link to full story here.

Where shall we start? How about with a phone call or email to the fierce advocate -- followed by?

edit: B

[CelticThunder]

1. FUCK OBAMA FOR THIS! FUCK HIM!

[Duncan Grant]

7. Send him an email. Give him a call.

But wait a day... :hi:

[Prism]

2. Maybe he'll evolve a heart

Or a spine.

Or a base consideration for other human beings.

You know, something that isn't "politically safe"

[Duncan Grant]

8. Knight to queen's bishop 3.

I hope he goes all Boris Spassky on this. Seriously, I do. :thumbsup:

[humankarenball]

3. Hopefully Pelosi will be able to get this couple some sort

of "discretionary" waiver. Just so sad that a waiver is even necessary.

[Duncan Grant]

9. I hope so. too.

It probably wouldn't hurt if we brought this to as many people's attention as possible.

Welcome to DU! :hi:

[dbackjon]

4. Our fierce advocate at work

[Duncan Grant]

10. There seems to be a continuity issue between the advocate and the rest of the administration.

By the way, I can't wait until the world gets over its sadistic fascination with gay people. They get so much pleasure from our pain.

[Liberal Veteran]

5. I hate to inject logic into an otherwise outpouring of anger.

But does anyone here really think Obama made this decision personally (even tangentially)? Or that he has any personal knowledge of this case?

Yeah, it sucks. But I highly doubt that Obama and Janet Napolitano are reviewing every single request personally.

While the article states they have appealed to the WH, imagine the sheer volume of personal appeals that must come to the White House.

It is certainly being reviewed by their congressperson and I rather doubt Pelosi is going to let the actual deportation take place (unless of course there is some information that we are not privy to regarding this case).

[Duncan Grant]

6. I hope Wells and/or Makk will have an opportunity to read your post.

Logic will be such a comfort to them in their hour of need.

"...I support the complete repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) – a position I have held since before arriving in the U.S. Senate. While some say we should repeal only part of the law, I believe we should get rid of that statute altogether." -- Barack Obama, "Equality is a Moral Imperative", Feb. 28, 2008

edit: .

[Liberal Veteran]

12. In the vernacular, that would be an appeal to emotion.

I'm not unsympathetic to their plight. I know what living with AIDS is like, since I have been living with HIV since 1986 and an AIDS diagnosis since 2000.

It may well be that emotion is what will sway the final determination of this story, but from a realistic point of view, there are tens of thousands of people out there with very heartbreaking stories (loss of insurance, homelessness, foreclosure, children starving or being denied a needed medical treatment, etc...), the notion that somehow there are enough hours in the day for ANY president to personally oversee the details of each person's story is ludicrous.

If someone wants to choose this story as another reason to pile on President Obama as some kind of monster who was personally involved in this decision, that is where I call "foul".

Thus, the need for logic in the discussion.

If you see that as unsympathetic, that is, of course, your choice, and your mistake since you don't know me.

[NMMNG]

11. Three cheers

for the bestest president ever for LGBT people. Does anybody have The List handy? :sarcasm:

I'm sick over this. The cruelty and callousness are astounding.

[Tx4obama]

13. Here's a LINK to a segment on Countdown - VIDEO

Countdown with Keith Olbermann 08-10-2011 - In Sickness and in Health

David Schuster with Brad Wells and Anthony Makk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=od5BpeQk7Kk

[Behind the Aegis]

14. This is appalling!

This is upsetting.