Who is Riley Gaines' husband? All about Kentucky Wildcats swimmer Louis Barker struggling to get a green card

Louis Barker is the husband of Riley Gaines, a former English swimmer, business owner, and project manager. He is currently experiencing considerable delays in getting a U.S. green card. The couple met at the University of Kentucky in 2019 and got married in 2022. Barker faces intricate challenges within the U.S. immigration framework, causing uncertainty about his future in America.

---

Who is Louis Barker?

Louis Barker was born on September 19, 1999, in the English town of Crawley. He attended Millfield School in England until he moved to the U.S. to pursue higher education, specializing in management coursework at Millfield School.

Barker arrived in the United States in 2018 to enroll at the University of Kentucky for business administration studies. Just like Riley Gaines, Barker demonstrates elite swimming abilities.

The swimming competitions in which he participated included the British Olympic Trials in 2016 and the Commonwealth Games Trials in 2018.

In addition to his athletic career, Barker operates his own business. LCB Pools is one of the companies he owns, specializing in pool design and service provision. He also plays a large role in the Chandler and Sons business, where he is involved in various operations.

---

Relationship with Riley Gaines

Louis Barker and Riley Gaines met in 2019 at the University of Kentucky and quickly became a couple. After dating for two years, the couple engaged in December 2021 and married on May 29, 2022, in Nashville, Tennessee.

Riley took on Barker's last name after the wedding. As of 2024, they have been married for more than two years.

Throughout his public career, Barker has maintained a lower profile compared to his wife, who actively promotes women's sports. On social media, Riley frequently shares posts about how her husband stands by her side completely.

---

Louis Barker's immigration struggles

Despite being legally married to a U.S. citizen for more than two years, Barker is still experiencing delays in obtaining his green card. This has led to frustration for him and vocal criticism from Riley Gaines.

According to Riley Gaines, one of the reasons for the delay is Barker's refusal to take the COVID-19 vaccine, which was previously a requirement for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

She was quoted as saying by The Spun:

"Just got another letter from USCIS saying they won't give my husband his green card until he gets the Covid jab. This is ridiculous. We've been married coming up on 3 years. We've spent thousands for the submitted forms to expire on their time. We're hoping for change soon."

"Before anyone says "Oh so your husband is an illegal?!? He should be deported!!!" He's very much here legally. Just no green card."

---

Public reaction and advocacy

Riley Gaines, known for her advocacy for fairness in women’s sports, has taken a strong stance on immigration issues following her husband’s struggles. In November 2024, she voiced her dismay on social media about the prolonged bureaucratic process delaying Barker's green card, despite his six years of legal residency in the U.S.

This prompted SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk to criticize U.S. immigration processes, calling them exceedingly complex and time-consuming for lawful immigrants.

According to the American Immigration Council, the removal system in the country fails to uphold basic constitutional values of process and fairness.

The grounds for deportability have no set time constraints, meaning that even minor past legal problems can trigger deportation proceedings against immigrants.