WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has ordered the State Department to stop issuing visas to unmarried same-sex partners of foreign officials working in the U.S., officials said Tuesday.
U.S. officials said the new rule was introduced in July to match the State Department’s policy for its own staff serving abroad. “It is a recognition and a codification of the fact that same-sex marriage is legal in the United States,” one of the administration officials said.
LGBTQ advocates said the decision ignored the reality that many same-sex couples may be reluctant to marry over fears about persecution and other concerns in their home countries. Many nations treat same-sex relationships as a criminal offense, punishable by death in some cases.
The U.S. officials said the new policy would affect about 105 families in the U.S., including about 55 families linked to international organizations. Those couples would be required to marry in the U.S. to maintain their visas. The officials declined to say how many came from countries where same-sex marriage was a legally punishable offense.
An expanded version of this report appears on WSJ.com.
Also popular on WSJ.com:
Trump directed legal action to enforce Stormy Daniels’ hush agreement.
Elon Musk stirs controversy on Twitter in wake of SEC settlement.