Last week, Rep. Keith Ellison called for the inclusion of same-sex couples in any immigration reform passed by Congress. Inclusion of LGBT immigrants and their families has developed into a controversy in the immigration plans currently being debated in Congress.

“Any proposal should also reform the process for accepting refugees—aspiring Americans fleeing war, persecution, or natural disaster—and give same-sex families the same rights that all families receive,” Ellison said in a statement. “Minnesota has the highest number of refugees per capita. Between 1999 and 2007, over 34,000 people resettled in Minnesota, from 30 different countries. Over 50,000 Somalis alone—many of them refugees–currently live in Minnesota.”

Over the weekend, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid told George Stephanapolous that he supports full inclusion of LGBT families in immigration reform.

“If we have gay folks in this country who have children, or they come from some other place they should be protected just like any other child,” said Reid.

But Republicans are not warming up to including LGBT families.

According to the Washington Post, Republican Sen. John McCain said at a Politico breakfast including LGBT immigrants in immigration reform “is the best way to derail it.”

“Which is more important: LGBT or border security?” McCain said. “I’ll tell you what my priorities are.”

President Obama has included LGBT families in his immigration reform proposal, according to the Advocate.

“[The proposal] also treats same-sex families as families by giving U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents the ability to seek a visa on the basis of a permanent relationship with a same-sex partner,” the plan reads.