Immigration Equality combats the widespread discriminatory impact of U.S. immigration law on the lives of LGBT and HIV-positive immigrants and their families through education, legal services, outreach, advocacy, and a nationwide resource network. Immigration Equality is the foremost organization to address the unique needs of the LGBT and HIV-positive community. Headquartered in New York City, Immigration Equality currently has sixteen chapters nationwide.

Immigration Equality coordinates pro bono legal representation for LGBT and HIV-positive individuals who have fled persecution in their home countries, provides legal support to lawyers handling individual asylum cases, provides direct legal services to low-income LGBT and HIV-positive asylum seekers and has filed amicus briefs in numerous asylum cases.

Immigration Equality was instrumental in the drafting and introduction of the Permanent Partners Immigration Act (PPIA), which would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide same-sex “permanent partners” of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents with most of the same immigration benefits currently provided to spouses. Immigration Equality continues to advocate for passage of this legislation, which now has bipartisan support in both the House and Senate and the support of over one-quarter of the U.S. House of Representatives. Immigration Equality also is working to educate broadly for repeal of the current HIV immigration bars, which restrict HIV-positive individuals from entering or immigrating to the United States.

The organization sponsors town hall meetings on LGBT and HIV immigration issues and organizes free legal clinics around the nation. The San Francisco chapter of Immigration Equality coordinates the only San Francisco Bay Area legal clinic specifically addressing the needs of LGBT and HIV-positive non-citizens, many of whom are low-income. The organization also answers hundreds of weekly calls and e-mail messages from LGBT and HIV-positive individuals in need of assistance through its national phone and email hotline.