Statement by Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano on the Implementation of the Supreme Court Ruling on the Defense of Marriage Act

The following press release was published by the US Department of Homeland Security on July 1, 2013. It is reproduced in full below.

For Immediate Release DHS Press Office Contact: 202-282-8010 “After last week’s decision by the Supreme Court holding that Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional, President Obama directed federal departments to ensure the decision and its implication for federal benefits for same-sex legally married couples are implemented swiftly and smoothly. To that end, effective immediately, I have directed U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to review immigration visa petitions filed on behalf of a same-sex spouse in the same manner as those filed on behalf of an opposite-sex spouse.” For more information on USCIS’ implementation of the Supreme Court’s ruling, please visit here.

Source: US Department of Homeland Security