The Uniting American Families Act (UAFA), which would grant immigration rights to bi-national gay couples and their families, has gained an important new cosponsor: Maxine Waters.

The California Democrat becomes the 121st House member to cosponsor, reports Immigration Equality. "Waters sits on the House Judiciary Committee and its Immigration Subcommittee. She brings the number of Democrats on the Immigration Subcommittee who are current UAFA cosponsors to seven out of ten, and the number of Demorcrats on the full Judiciary Committee to 18 out of 24. UAFA has more cosponsors in the House than any other piece of immigration legislation."

And: "Waters’s support comes at a crucial time for LGBT immigration reform. Last week 60 Congress members issued a letter to President Barack Obama and congressional leaders urging passage of the legislation, originally introduced in the House by New York representative Jerrold Nadler and in the Senate by Vermont’s Patrick Leahy."

The"comprehensive" immigration reform bill introduced in December does not include gays and lesbians. With a health care reform bill whose passage is uncertain, it’s unclear if and when the current Congress will address comprehensive immigration reform.