DOJ: We Will Continue to Enforce DOMA

A surprise order to suspend the deportation of a gay man in a civil union does not signal a broad policy shift on enforcing the Defense of Marriage Act, a spokeswoman for Atty. Gen. Eric Holder insists, according to The New York Times.

Holder issued the order Thursday to an immigration appeals board in the case of Paul Wilson Dorman -- a 40-year-old Irishman who entered into a New Jersey civil union with his partner in 2009 -- because issues in the case may have been overlooked, Holder spokeswoman Tracy Schmaler said.

"As we have made clear, we will continue to enforce DOMA," Schmaler said.

Holder's order was cited on Friday by an immigration judge in another deportation case, however -- one involving a Venezuelan man who married his American spouse in Connecticut in 2009. The judge put on hold deportation proceedings in that case until December.

Advocates for gay binational couples have argued that putting a hold on deportation cases would not be tantamount to flouting DOMA, which faces several court challenges.

Legislation to repeal DOMA has been introduced in both the House and Senate. The bill is not expected to pass the Republican-controlled House, which has taken up defense of the 1996 law after the administration announced in February that it would no longer do so.

Read the NYT article here.