A small, tangible victory in a much larger battle: federal immigration authorities have suspended deportation proceedings against Takako Ueda of Dummerston, VT. Washington Post:

The decision ended months of uncertainty that was heightened in December when Ueda received a letter ordering her to leave the country by Dec. 31. She did not comply. [Her wife, Frances] Herbert said in a phone interview from the couple’s home in Dummerston that they had been told Ueda’s case would be reviewed in two years.

“Now at least we can exhale,” Herbert said.

They can also have something more like a normal life. Ueda had not been able to apply for a driver’s license or seek employment; now she will be able to do both.

The couple had strong support from Governor Shumlin and Vermont’s Congressional delegation. Those three, Pat Leahy, Bernie Sanders and Peter Welch, issued a statement:

We welcome this remedy that for now will offer a measure of common sense and compassion for this Vermont couple. All three of our offices have worked hard to support this loving and committed couple who have been unfairly prevented by DOMA from enjoying the rights and benefits that all lawfully married couples deserve.

Ueda and Herbert are one of five couples who have sued the federal government seeking green cards for foreign-born same-sex spouses. They will continue to pursue the case.

And yes, they face uncertainty after two years. What happens after that may well depend on who’s in the White House.

(Photo from the website of Immigration Equality, an organization fighting for equal rights under immigration law for LGBT and HIV-positive people.)