WASHINGTON, DC – American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) President Jeremy McKinney applauds the signing into law of the Respect for Marriage Act, which federally protects same-sex and interracial marriages and requires individual states to recognize another state's legal marriage. The landmark bipartisan legislation was passed first by the Senate with 61-36 vote, passed the House with a 258-169-1 vote, and today was signed into law by President Biden.
"AILA applauds the passage of the Respect for Marriage Act and the protections it provides LGBTQI+ and interracial couples and their children now that it is law. Many mixed-nationality couples in the United States have obtained life-altering immigration benefits due to the constitutional right to marriage equality, and now those rights are here to stay. This law signals the equality and legal recognition that all Americans, and in many cases, their noncitizen spouses are entitled. The landmark bipartisan vote shows Congress can pass vital legislation, and they should keep the momentum up to pass additional pieces, including critically needed immigration reform."
