Obama used his last day in office to help transgender immigrants
President Obama used his final full day in office to issue a memo helping transgender immigrants.
The news has only just come to light, as the 44th president’s final acts come into force.
Obama issued a memo to the US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) to change the rules for transgender immigrants.
Statements from foreign doctors will now be accepted for a person’s chosen gender.
The memo stated: “Individuals may request a change in the gender reflected on a USCIS-issued document … [and] USCIS will issue an initial or amended document reflecting the changed gender designation”.
The memo only applies to legal immigrants.
All employees will have to abide with the rule to help recognise immigrants under their identified gender.
President Trump has already worked to turn the clock back however.
All references to LGBT on the White House website have now been removed.
Obama also pardoned a former officer who was imprisoned for being gay in the army.
The man had been unable to find work as he was listed as a felon – something now erased by Obama’s pardon.
