One Step Closer to Lifting the HIV+ Travel Ban

category: News

Published October 28, 2009 @ 03:55PM PT

HIV travel Last February, more than 150 community based organizations sent a letter to President Obama, requesting the administration lift the ban on travel by HIV+ people.

President Bush had approved a bill passed by Congress to repeal the ban last June but it still remains in place as status quo United States policy. The amount of time it has taking to institute the new policy has left many immigrants in legal limbo.

The Center for Disease Control has finally approved the removal of HIV from the list of communicable diseases that disallow an individual entry into the United States. The Office of Budget and Management must take action within 60 days to finally approve the removal of the travel ban.

This HIV ban is one of the antiquated laws in our immigration system in need of immediate change. It is an archaic means of promoting public health in a global age. Stigmatizing HIV immigrants is a disgrace that only provides a false sense of security and apparently the United States is joined by countries like Libya, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and eight other countries in instituting this practice. The current ban has remained in place since 1987, and is also discriminatory towards gay and lesbian families, who do not benefit from the waiver available to straight couples.

Hat Tip: Diana

(Photo Credit: Trygve.u Flickr Photostream)

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Comments (2)

It's about time! Everyone deserves the right of "due process" especially our youth. This is about mothers being torn away from their sons and families being torn apart. I know this is a sensitive subject and I don't mean to offend, but we "live" in a country were there is "justice for all" and that means "due process" for all. Thank you San Francisco City Supervisors!

Posted by Jacquie Chavez on 10/28/2009 @ 05:10PM PT
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"HIV,"(?)

Posted by L.S. hope on 10/28/2009 @ 09:44PM PT
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Author

Prerna obtained her Masters degree in International Relations in 2007 and took a hiatus from academia. During this break, she co-founded DreamActivist.org and helped launch a program for immigrant youth in the Bay Area (S4FC). Currently, she is also a Managing Editor at The Sanctuary. Views expressed on this blog are her own and not that of any organization currently affiliated with her. Contact email - prerna@change.org