Gay illegal immigrants

SAN FRANCISCO — The Department of Homeland Security is planning to issue a policy memo stating that illegal immigrants with American same-sex partners are eligible to have their deportations put on hold.

The Democratic lawmakers addressed Thursday in Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano’s letter pressed the agency to inform Immigration and Customs Enforcement field offices that bi-national gay couples in long-term relationships have family ties that should be considered as grounds for deferring a foreign citizen’s removal from the U.S.