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Defense of Marriage Act

Journal

Northwestern University Law Review

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Marriage-Based Immigration For Same-Sex Couples After Doma: Lingering Problems Of Proof And Prejudice, Anna Carron Jul 2015

Marriage-Based Immigration For Same-Sex Couples After Doma: Lingering Problems Of Proof And Prejudice, Anna Carron

Northwestern University Law Review

In 2013, the Supreme Court changed the lives of thousands of same-sex couples in America by declaring the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) unconstitutional in United States v. Windsor. This decision allowed same-sex spouses to receive the same marriage-based immigration benefits under federal law that “traditional marriages” had long received. Although this holding is a victory for binational same-sex couples, bias still exists in the practices U.S. Customs and Immigration Services (USCIS) uses to evaluate the legitimacy of marriages. This bias manifests itself in the proof USCIS requires to show a relationship is bona fide, proof that often assumes …