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Rep. McDermott Wants Law Changed Regarding Entry in the US by Individuals with HIV
McDermott and 30 House Colleagues Sign Letter to Secretary of Homeland Security
December 7, 2007
For Immediate Release

Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA) today released a congressional letter to the Secretary of Homeland Security, demanding that changes be made to current law, and against a proposed new rule affecting entry into the U.S. by individuals with HIV.

Quoting from the letter that Rep. McDermott, Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), and 29 other co-sponsors of H.R. 3337, sent to Michael Chertoff, Secretary of Homeland Security:

“We write to express our profound disagreement and concern with the current unjustified and discriminatory statute banning travel and immigration for people living with HIV/AIDS. We are further troubled by the issuance of this new proposed rule related to temporary (nonimmigrant) entry, which creates the impression that the ill-conceived policy in the underlying statute can somehow be mitigated. Simply put the HIV/AIDS statutory travel ban is a violation of human rights, has no basis in public health, and should be repealed.”

McDermott is an original co-sponsor of H.R. 3337, the HIV Nondiscrimination in Travel and Immigration Act of 2007, and said changes need to be made to an outdated law that bars individuals with HIV from entering the U.S., or forces them to try to obtain a waiver.

“Our existing law sends the wrong message to the world and it stigmatizes individuals who have tested positive for HIV. Changing the law will not negatively affect our strong public health protections; in fact, transparency will only strengthen the system and, at the same time, afford individuals the dignity, respect and privacy to which they are entitled.

“In recent years we have made great strides in treating individuals with HIV and I want the U.S. to lead a global effort in finding a cure for HIV. That is where our focus should be, not on an old law that was based on incorrect information, or worse.”

[Download Signed Letter PDF]