U.S. immigration to treat same-sex partners as relatives

This should ease the minds and lives of many immigrants.    - - Donna Poisl

By Ronnie Cohen; Editing by Mary Wisniewski and Todd Eastham

SAN FRANCISCO | (Reuters) - The Obama administration has directed immigration officials to recognize same-sex partners as family members in deportation cases, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said on Friday.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told Pelosi in a letter that she had ordered U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to notify its field offices "that the interpretation of the phrase ‘family relationships' includes long-term, same-sex partners."

Pelosi welcomed the federal recognition of gay and lesbian couples. At the same time, she called for more to be done to protect undocumented immigrants in long-term relationships with American citizens.
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