In striking down the DOMA, the Supreme Court also settles a hotly debated issue immigration reform: should LGBT US citizens be allowed to sponsor their partners for green cards. Yes, the court says

The decision on DOMA should help keep same-sex binational couples from being separated by an immigration order.

While DOMA was in effect, gay and lesbian Americans legally married to a foreign national had no way to sponsor them for a spouse visa to live in the United States because the federal government refused to recognize their union. 

All that's a thing of the past now.

The National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) has compiled fact sheets for many aspects of your rights in the post-DOMA world. There is one specifically for immigration rights. (see list)....

Catriona Dowling got the news early Wednesday from a friend by text message. Her wife, Cathy Davis, heard it shouted by a neighbor upon returning from taking their children to an ESL summer school program. And just like that, this same-sex binational couple's struggle to stay together in the U.S. got a whole lot easier. Now they, and some 40,000 other couples in similar situations will be able to apply for green cards for the foreign spouse - a right that was denied gay and lesbian couples under DOMA. 

Of all the many ways in which DOMA harmed same-sex couples and their families, immigration was surely one of the cruelest. DOMA placed a dark cloud over same-sex binational couples, forcing them to live in fear of separation. US citizens, in order to stay together with a foreign same-sex spouse or partner, were often forced to choose between the person they love or the country they love – a choice no person should have to make.

All that changed on Wednesday when the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) struck down section 3 of DOMA. Legally married same-sex couples now have access to federal marriage rights - among those, the prize for same-sex binationals: immigration rights, or the right of an American citizen to sponsor their foreign spouse for a green card.

One right, however, that this same-sex binational Florida couple will receive is the right of the American citizen to petition for a marriage-based green card for his husband. Immigration law recognizes any marriage that is legal -- that is if you were married in a state, jurisdiction or country where marriage equality exists, then the federal government must recognize your marriage, regardless of the state you reside in.

The impact of the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) had been severe, leaving many same-sex binational couples living in fear that they could be separated from their spouses. The Supreme Court’s decision on Wednesday to strike down DOMA brought a stunning improvement in the lives of Steven Infante, an immigrant from Colombia, and his American husband — less than an hour after the ruling was announced.

After weeks of Supreme Court watching, just three decisions remain to be released by SCOTUS, two of which will have great impact for same-sex binationals. Today, Chief Justice John Roberts announced that Wednesday, June 26 will be the day these last three decisions will be handed down. Experts expect the rulings to be issued starting at 10am EST (7am PST).

The USICS announced they would be putting the new procedures in place this week for same-sex binational couples seeking green cards.

Posted Saturday morning, June 29, 2013 to Facebook by immigration attorney Lavi Soloway: "The DOMA Project WINS FIRST GREEN CARD APPROVAL FOR A MARRIED GAY COUPLE IN U.S. HISTORY, JUST TWO DAYS AFTER SUPREME COURT STRIKES DOWN DOMA!"

The U.S. government says it will begin extending immigration benefits to gay married couples in light of the Supreme Court's decision striking down key portions of a federal gay marriage law. That means that U.S. citizens or permanent residents with foreign spouses would be able to sponsor their partners for U.S. residency, like straight married Americans can.

President Barack Obama’s Statement on the Supreme Court’s decision on the Defense of Marriage Act  The White House issued the DOMA statement on June 26, 2013: I applaud the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)...

"...we welcome today’s decision, and I’ve directed the Attorney General to work with other members of my Cabinet to review all relevant federal statutes to ensure this decision, including its implications for Federal benefits and obligations, is implemented swiftly and smoothly."

Even though Brian Andersen and Anton Tanumihardja are married, Anton had been living under the constant threat of deportation, since the federal government did not recognize the marriages of same-sex partners (until Wednesday, June 26).

One Valentine’s Day, Anton was forced to say goodbye to Anderson and was actually already at the airport when the message came in from their lawyer advising that his deportation, once again, had been postponed.

Now that DOMA has been struck down by the Supreme Court of the United States, the couple will finally have a chance to move forward without facing the constant stress of possibly being ripped apart.

Sveta Apodaca and her wife, Andi, had been at the forefront of fighting the Defense of Marriage Act for years, but on Wednesday, the Macomb resident said the couple could in a way finally breathe freely.

The U.S. Supreme Court struck down a federal provision denying benefits to same-sex married couples in a narrow ruling, spurring a widespread feeling of victory for gay rights advocates across the country. For Apodaca, a staffer and alumna of Western Illinois University, the decision is a culmination of a years-long fight against the act since first taking her experience public.

In a mere twenty-four hours the US Supreme Court will finally hand down its decision in United States v Windsor and Hollingsworth v Perry. For millions of Americans in favor of marriage equality, tomorrow may well be one of the most joy-filled days of their lives… or one of the most devastating; and in light of the win for Affirmative Action earlier this week, and then today’s slap in the face of civil rights, there is no telling what SCOTUS will ultimately decide about same-sex marriage.