Some immigrants denied marriage licenses

[payxibka 10,045]

By TRAVIS LOLLER, Associated Press Writer

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - A federal law that requires people to supply their Social Security number when applying for a marriage license has forced thousands of couples around the country, particularly illegal immigrants, to put their wedding plans on hold.

The law has been on the books for about a decade and was intended to make it easier to collect child support payments. But in some places it has prevented even legal immigrants and some American citizens from getting married.

Some couples are traveling to other states or other counties willing to issue them marriage licenses.

Jonadad Luque, a Honduran immigrant legally in the U.S., wants to marry his girlfriend, with whom he has two children, ages 1 and 5. But the county clerk in Nashville would not issue them a license because his girlfriend is in the country illegally and does not have a Social Security number.

"I have a Social Security number, a driver's license and permission to work," Luque said in Spanish. "We want to get married, but we'll have to wait until they change the law."

John Arriola, the county clerk in Nashville, said he would like to see the law changed, but for now he has to obey it.

Federal law requires states to record the Social Security numbers of all applicants for a professional license, driver's license, recreational license or marriage license. And Social Security numbers are not available to those who are in this country illegally or do not have permission to work.

But whether and how the law is enforced varies dramatically from state to state, and even from county to county, with some authorities interpreting the law as saying that only those people who already have Social Security numbers need to supply them.

Illegal immigrants are encountering less trouble getting married in places that have established immigrant communities. In Texas and New York City, for instance, officials ask for Social Security numbers but do not require them.

The Los Angeles County registrar's office says it does not require any proof of residency or citizenship status. And in North Carolina, people without Social Security numbers can present an affidavit stating they are ineligible for one.

The laws are often more strict in states where large immigrant populations are a recent phenomenon. In Tennessee and Alabama, for example, some county clerks are using the law to prevent illegal immigrants from getting marriage licenses.

Immigration attorneys say the law was not designed to keep people from getting married.

"There's a fundamental U.S. constitutional right to marry," said Charles Baesler, an immigration lawyer in Kentucky and chairman of the American Immigration Lawyers Association's Southeast chapter.

A federal judge in Pennsylvania ruled last month that a county official could not require a man to prove he was legally in the country before issuing a marriage license to him and his American fiancee.

The Rev. Joseph Breen of Nashville's St. Edward Catholic Church, which has a large Hispanic congregation, said he became concerned about the number of couples in his parish, some with children, who had been unable to marry legally.

So the church drove about 20 couples across the state line to Kentucky for licenses and a civil wedding ceremony before bringing them back to Nashville for a church wedding.

"We call ourselves a Christian country, but you've got to go to Georgia or Kentucky in order to get married," Breen said. "We're supposed to be pro-family."

The Rev. Neil Pezzulo, a Roman Catholic priest in rural Arkansas' Scott County, said immigrant couples keep coming in with marriage licenses issued in a neighboring county with a more liberal policy.

Scott County Clerk Sandy Staggs said state law requires a Social Security number, but for people who don't have one, her office also accepts a birth certificate, translated into English, and a photo ID.

As for how the policy could differ from one county to the next, Pezzulo said: "My suspicion is it has to do more with religious and political agendas than an understanding of the law."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070712/ap_on_...ahMvEIlwEzMWM0F

[Ban Hammer 13,337]

Jonadad Luque, a Honduran immigrant legally in the U.S., wants to marry his girlfriend, with whom he has two children, ages 1 and 5. But the county clerk in Nashville would not issue them a license because his girlfriend is in the country illegally and does not have a Social Security number.

"I have a Social Security number, a driver's license and permission to work," Luque said in Spanish. "We want to get married, but we'll have to wait until they change the law."

or maybe go home and get married

[trueimage 0]

Jonadad Luque, a Honduran immigrant legally in the U.S., wants to marry his girlfriend, with whom he has two children, ages 1 and 5. But the county clerk in Nashville would not issue them a license because his girlfriend is in the country illegally and does not have a Social Security number.

"I have a Social Security number, a driver's license and permission to work," Luque said in Spanish. "We want to get married, but we'll have to wait until they change the law."

or maybe go home and get married

If we are serious about controlling illegal immigration...the law will not change. However, I don't believe this will deter people from coming...they will just shack up instead of getting married.

[bevray 0]

My wife came from the UK on a visa waiver for a vacation and we got married in LasVegas. She did not have a SSN and they never asked for it and we subsequently went through the CR-1 visa process and the USCIS, NVC and US Embassy in London all approved her for a visa with no questions asked. After our marriage an immigration officer in Chicago pulled her out saying that our marriage was illegal but they let her through customs after about 15 minutes of checking her out on a computer. So go figure, there is no rhyme or reason to this process and absolutely no consistency in the system. Good luck!

[*JG* 2]

I have mixed feelings on this issue.

First of all, if my state had not allowed our marriage license cause Andre had no SSN, I would have been devestated. And, they would've had to change the whole SSN process just to make it work.

And, having gone through this terribly long and expensive process, I can see where it would be much easier to just skirt around the laws. God knows I wanted to in the end.

But, I am completely against illegal immigration.

Wish I had all the answers to fix it all.

[desert_fox 32]

I find this a little strange that it is a federal law. Ppl who do not have SSNs get married every day in this country.....K1's, visitors, etc.

I think they asked my wife for her SSN when we took out a license in Clark County Nevada. Seems like that "NONE" was a perfectly acceptable answer.

Half of Las Vegas would have to go out of business if a foreigner could not come here and get married. Takes about an hour from getting the license and getting married if you want.

[almaty 19]

good point Brother Fox..

[L_n_O 3]

cool

So most places don't ask for a SSN # right?

What do they ask for then?

[payxibka 10,045]

cool

So most places don't ask for a SSN # right?

What do they ask for then?

I don't think it was said that most places don't ask for SSN (in fact I am almost certain the application forms on most if not all indeed do ask) .... I think it was said that some places do not make a big deal out of you not having one....

[Cassie 8]

cool

So most places don't ask for a SSN # right?

What do they ask for then?

I don't think it was said that most places don't ask for SSN (in fact I am almost certain the application forms on most if not all indeed do ask) .... I think it was said that some places do not make a big deal out of you not having one....

aye, I was asked for my SSN when we went for our license. When we explained why I don't have one, she asked to see my passport, and then went on with processing our license.

[TracyTN 237]

I live in the county adjacent to the one in the story. My county accepts a passport with valid visa and/or I 94 as ID for anyone without an SSN.

Methinks the Nashville folks are being a bit silly.

Edited July 13, 2007 by TracyTN

[derekkj 0]

Huh, we were not asked for our SSN's when we got our license in Vermont. In fact I think Vermont actually tries to get Canadians to come down and get married there. The wedding business is a huge revenue generator for a lot of places and destination weddings are all the rage now. Seems silly to me to restrict where people can get married.

[L_n_O 3]

cool

thx for the info!

[jundp 191]

They don't even ask for proof of divorce/death in Washington. Proof of identity and age is the only thing required....

[Kez/JWolf 6]

Here in MA when we went to get our marriage license I took my Passport and my divorce papers I was not asked for either.... I did not have a SSN at that time...

Kez