Suing for love: Local woman part of federal lawsuit over K-1 Visas

WASHINGTON COUNTY, Pa. — A Washington County woman is taking on the U.S. Department of State and the secretary of state over love.

“We’re absolutely getting nowhere. It’s so frustrating. I mean, we are going about things the way they tell us to, the way the United States government wants us to, and they still just don’t care,” Gabriel said.

She’s engaged to Alex Foster Firth, who lives in London.

"I’m feeling very frustrated, to say the least. My finance Alex is nothing but an upstanding citizen. He has a university degree. He’s very educated, " Gabriel said.

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And Gabriel is going to court to fight for love. She is one of more than 300 people who are suing the Department of State and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo over K-1 visas.

The K-1 visa allows someone overseas the ability to travel to the U.S. to marry his or her U.S. fiancee or finance within a certain amount of time.

She said they got approved in March before the COVID-19 pandemic. But once it hit, the U.S government and U.S. embassies stopped processing those visas.

“We have given been given absolutely no guidance on to how to proceed. So we are banned from him having a visa as of now, not forever. But unfortunately, they’re allowing students and businessmen and even work exchange visas to go through,” Gabriel said.

Gabriel said attorneys in the case plan to file a temporary restraining order. And if it’s approved here, Gabriel and her finance can start to work on their own American dream.

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