Gays' Cases Help to Explain Immigration Rights

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1996. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

Gays' Cases Help to Explain Immigration Rights

Washington Post (12/17/96) P. A1
Branigin, William

Abstract: The expansion of asylum conditions to include homosexuality and HIV infection as grounds for approval has spurred controversy and debate. Since 1994, more than 60 foreigners have been given asylum based on persecution because of their homosexuality and at least two heterosexuals have also been granted asylum based on persecution because they were HIV- positive. Critics of the new conditions argue that they go against the original intent of the system, which was to give temporary refuge to people who were in the United States when it was too dangerous for them to return to their native country. A decision by the Clinton administration to consider HIV infection as a possible condition for asylum is especially controversial, because a 1993 law banned the immigration of anyone with HIV or AIDS. "We're telling HIV-positive people that you're not allowed to come to the United States, but if you manage to sneak in, we'll give you asylum based on the characteristic that would have made you excludable," commented Mark Krikorian, director of the Center for Immigration Studies.

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