HHS

Today, President Bush is likely to re-authorize PEPFAR (the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief). As it stands, PEPFAR contains a provision that removes a 15-year statutory ban on the entry of people with HIV/AIDS into the United States, a discriminatorily restrictive policy for HIV positive immigrants and travelers. Many advocates are hailing the provision as a significant achievement in immigrant justice. Dr. Nancy Ordover, founder of the Coalition to the Lift the Bar and member of the International Task Team on HIV-related Travel Restrictions, attests, "Two and half years ago, we were told it couldn't be done. We were told to abandon HIV positive immigrants and focus on extending waiver options for short-term travelers with HIV. We rejected that division, and I believe that our adherence to human rights and social justice principles is what got us this far."

But How Far Have We Really Come?  read more »