Volunteer Guide

Council on American-Islamic Relations (Chicago Office)

  • Location:
    17 North State Street
    Suite 1500
    Chicago, IL 60602
  • Phone:
    (312) 212-1520
  • Fax:
    (312) 212-1530
  • Contact methods:
    Email, Fax, Mail/Letter, Phone calls, Website
  • Appointments accepted:
    Yes

CAIR - Chicago is a local chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). CAIR is the nation's largest Muslim civil rights organization and was established to promote an accurate image of Islam and Muslims in America. CAIR - Chicago's mission is to defend civil rights, fight bigotry, and promote tolerance. The Civil Rights Department counsels, mediates, and advocates on behalf of Muslims and others who have experienced religious discrimination, defamation, or hate crimes. The department works to protect and defend the constitutional rights of Muslims to freely practice their religion and be treated in a non-discriminatory manner. In addition to pursuing individual complaints of religious discrimination reported to CAIR - Chicago, the Civil Rights Department has implemented several ongoing special projects that target important issues in the diverse Muslim communities. The Citizenship Delay Project works to end the lengthy delays in the citizenship process for Muslims applying for U.S. citizenship. We also handle I-130 petitions and other immigration related delay matters. The Employment Discrimination Project assists Muslims facing religious discrimination in the workplace. The Travel Free Project deals with complaints of Muslims encountering problems while traveling. The Police Misconduct Project advocates and represents clients in cases of discriminatory treatment by law enforcement. The FBI Project assists individuals contacted by FBI agents, fully protecting their constitutional rights when being questioned. The Prison Project secures the rights of Muslim inmates to practice their religion freely and seeks to ensure that inmates are treated humanely. Healsters.org handles complaints of bullying in schools. 

State served: Illinois
Detention Facilities Served: Kankakee County Jail (IL), McHenry County Adult Correctional Facility (IL)

Services Provided

Are immigration legal services provided? Yes
Areas of immigration legal assistance: Adjustment of Status, Asylum applications, Employment authorization, Naturalization/Citizenship, Temporary Protected Status (TPS)
Types of immigration legal services provided: Help completing forms, Filings with USCIS, Representation at Asylum Interviews (Credible Fear Interviews, Reasonable Fear Interviews)
Other areas of legal assistance: Civil Rights, Education, Employment, Prisoners
Non-legal services: Administrative advocacy (CIS/ICE/CBP), Housing referrals, Legal Orientation Programs (LOP) / Know Your Rights Presentations (KYR), Legislative advocacy (state or national), Referrals to other services
Populations served: Domestic Violence Victims, Individuals who are not in legal immigration status, Individuals with criminal histories, Juveniles, Lesbian, gay, bisexual & transgender, Torture survivors
Languages spoken: Arabic, English, Urdu
Access to a commercial interpreting service or language bank: No
Nominal fee charged? No
Other information: Services are primarily for the Muslim American and Arab American communities and those perceived as being Muslim. Immigration legal services consist of advocacy for Green Card and Naturalization delays and affirmative asylum cases. Services are also provided for media assistance and interfaith outreach. No walk-ins accepted. Please contact our office to complete an intake over the phone or to schedule an appointment.

Staffing Information

Number of attorneys on staff: 2
Is organization BIA recognized? No
Number of fully accredited BIA representatives on staff: 0
Number of partially accredited BIA representatives on staff: 0
Number of paralegals/legal workers on staff: 0

Additional Details

Pro Bono opportunities? Yes
Network affiliations: American Immigration Lawyers Association, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights

Volunteering

Volunteer Coordinator
Gerald Hankerson
(312) 212-1520