Anthony John Makk -- the gay Australian national who has been fighting separation from his San Francisco spouse after his marriage visa petition was denied, won't be deported after all.
The news came today when Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi told Makk and his partner of 19 years, Bradford Wells, that they could stay together here for at least another two years. Makk's visa had expired on Aug. 25, but he has been fighting immigration officials to stay in the country where he is the husband and primary caretaker of Wells, who suffers from AIDS.
SF Weekly called Makk and Wells today, but the excited couple was prepping for a photo shoot with reporters and promised to speak with us later. We will update you when we hear back.
The Chron is reporting that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services issued a letter to Makk today
saying he has been granted "deferred action" on his case for two years, an exercise of prosecutorial discretion
that allows the agency not to pursue deportation for a specific period.
According to news reports, Makk met certain conditions that allowed immigration officials to prioritize deportation cases, including family
ties, status as a primary caregiver, lack of criminal record, and his
long period of legal residence under a series of visas that eventually
expired.
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