The rift in the immigrant rights community continues to grow over whether to extend visa benefits to same-sex couples.

Evangelicals and Catholic leaders who otherwise favor amending the nation's immigration laws say they can't go along with a proposal that gives same-sex couples "marriage-like" privileges.

"A lot of evangelicals would not support same sex provisions," Jenny Hwang of the Christian World Relief aid group said on a conference call with reporters Wednesday. Hwang is a member of Conservatives for Comprehensive Immigration Reform, a growing group of religious leaders backing the overhaul.

But the leading liberal immigration coalition continues to favor same-sex inclusion. Liberal activists say faith groups won't get in the way of their plan to make immigration rules fair to all families.

"Today I think the reality is that most lawmakers and most immigration groups believe that [same-sex couples] are expected to be in the base bill," said Steve Ralls of Immigration Equality, which has led the effort to include gay and lesbian issues in the larger proposal.

Last month, a Senate proposal on immigration included a provision that would give binational same-sex couples the ability to sponsor each other for American visas. This week, Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) announced he would support gay rights in the House version too.

Catholic bishops and evangelical leaders could be the key to getting conservative support for immigration. For them, the same-sex issue is a nonstarter.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops argued that the benefits would give same-sex couples "marriage-like immigration benefits" in violation of the Defense of Marriage Act.

Ralls says the idea isn’t to treat same-sex partners like spouses. Rather, the carefully worded plan would give partners the same priority as siblings or immediate family members get in the immigration system.

“There are some very stringent requirements that the couples must meet in order to qualify,” Ralls added.

In the House, 124 lawmakers have backed the Uniting American Families Act (HR 1024 ) a standalone bill to alleviate visa issues for the estimated 40,000 binational same-sex couples in this country.

Rather than being the part of the immigration agenda that could divide the coalition, Ralls said he believes the same-sex issue is the "most popular piece of standalone immigration legislation."

"I don't believe the Catholic bishops speak for the Catholic people," he added.

But the bishops and the National Association of Evangelicals have provided valuable support for immigration on the Hill. On June 9, the NAE plans to hold an event in D.C. in favor of a comprehensive overhaul.

Part of their lobbying effort will be a push to take the same-sex provisions out of the immigration plan.

"There is opportunity to compromise and make a bill that would be more pleasing to conservative members," Hwang said.

-- Ambreen Ali, Congress.org