[2][3][4] The organization provides guidance and legal counsel for LGBTQ and HIV-positive immigrants, particularly those seeking asylum from countries where they face persecution.

[5] Due to their sexual orientation, gender identity, or HIV status, clients are persecuted in their country of origin and flee to the United States.

[6] Immigration Equality helps clients to win asylum or release from detention so they can live safely and freely in the United States.

As more countries worldwide pass anti-LGBTQ laws, the number of individuals coming to Immigration Equality from Russia, the Middle East, and Sub-Saharan Africa has increased.

[11] The organization was founded in 1994 by Suzanne Goldberg, Noemi Masliah, and Lavi Soloway as the Lesbian and Gay Immigration Rights Task Force.

[18] Immigration Equality also won over fifty political asylum cases where the potential deportees feared persecution if returned to their homeland.

[16] In May 2015, Immigration Equality's website was selected for inclusion in the Library of Congress' historic collection of Internet materials related to public policy topics.

[17] They have worked to introduce the legislation, educated Congress members about the need for passage and documented Americans and their families affected by the issue.

[17] Immigration Equality has been lobbying for the act since 2000 which would allow "same-sex 'permanent partners' to present documents – joint tax filings, property records, bank accounts – to prove their relationship and petition for a green card" the same as heterosexual couples are able to do.

[21] John Nechman, co-chair of Immigration Equality explained "|[M]any of the problems related to legal civil-unions have to do with "intent" under the law.

"[21] In July 2007 executive director Rachel B. Tiven was interviewed on Fox News' political talkshow The O'Reilly Factor about the legislation.