Democrats are calling for the State Department to recognize the citizenship of children whose parents are in same-sex marriages. More than 90 lawmakers — including Rashida Tlaib, Jerry Naddler and Adam Schiff — signed a letter Thursday addressed to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urging the policy change.
The letter was released one month after the State Department filed an appeal after a federal judge determined that two-year-old Ethan Dvash-Banks was indeed a U.S. citizen, though he was conceived using sperm from his father, Elad, an Israeli citizen. His twin brother, Aidan, was conceived using sperm from his father, Andrew, who is a U.S. citizen.
The couple conceived the twins via a surrogate in Canada, where they moved so they could legally marry in 2010. The boys are fraternal; one has blond hair and one has dark brown hair. They were born at the same time by the same surrogate.
The dads sought recognition of the twins’ U.S. citizenship and to do so, both had to submit DNA tests and other documentation to prove they were the boys’ biological parents. This requirement does not exist for the children of a married U.S. citizen, according to Immigration Equality, an LGBTQ immigration rights organization helping the couple. Democrats were quick to point out the discrepancy.
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“The State Department is now misapplying the Immigration and Nationality Act by treating the children of same-sex couples as born ‘out of wedlock.’ We find this to be deeply offensive,” lawmakers wrote. “Welcoming a new child into a family should be a time of joy and excitement, but instead it is being met by your Department treating these couples differently than their different-sex counterparts.”
A federal judge ruled that Ethan was a citizen at birth in February. The State Department appealed that decision in May. The department insists a married U.S. citizen must have a biological connection to their child to pass on birthright citizenship, according to Immigration Equality.
Immigration Equality believes the State Department’s claim is false. “It’s discrimination—pure and simple—and Immigration Equality will continue to fight on behalf of LGBTQ families until this policy is eliminated,” the nonprofit wrote.
The Dvash-Banks family are not the only Immigration Equality clients fighting this battle. Allison Blixt and Stefania Zaccari are what Immigration Equality calls a “bi-national couple.” Allison is American and Stefania is Italian.
Like the Dvash-Banks, the women could not get married in the U.S. due to the Defense of Marriage Act. So, they tied the knot in London. That is where their sons, Lucas and Massi were born. Massi was carried by Allison. Lucas was carried by Stefania.
Allison should be able to pass her citizenship onto her children, but because the U.S. does not consider her legally married to Stefania, the State Department has refused to recognize Lucas’ citizenship, according to Immigration Equality.
Immigration Equality insists that in these and similar cases, “the government is fervently defending a policy that discriminates against same-sex couples.”
CBS News has reached out to Immigration Equality for further comment and is awaiting a response.
