(COLUMBUS, OHIO – 3/6/2020) — The Ohio chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio) announced today the filing of a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, United States Department of State,
and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on behalf of an American citizen from Toledo, Ohio, whose wife and infant child are stranded in Beirut.
The couple has been married for over three years and have a child together who is a U.S. citizen, but they have been forced to live apart because the embassy in Beirut failed to process the wife’s visa. The wife has already been interviewed twice by the embassy.
The embassy has refused to provide any indication or a timeline for when the application will be approved, even though the couple has completed all the necessary steps for receiving an immigrant visa. The father continues to suffer this forced separation from his wife and child. This unnecessary delay has caused immense hardship to the family.
After contacting the U.S. Embassy numerous times to no avail, the couple turned to CAIR-Ohio for help.
On February 7, 2020, CAIR-Ohio filed a federal lawsuit to compel the embassy to process the visa so the family is not stuck in limbo.
“These discriminatory delays by the government cause real suffering to families, and in this case is forcing a U.S. citizen child to grow up without both parents,” said Romin Iqbal, Esq., executive director of CAIR-Ohio. “Our clients have fulfilled all the legal requirements to obtain a visa. Denying them the right to be together as a family does not make us any safer.”
Muslims facing similar delays are urged to contact CAIR-Ohio for assistance by filing an incident report online.
CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.
