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

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

Areas of immigration legal assistance: Adjustment of Status, Asylum applications, Employment authorization, Naturalization/Citizenship, Temporary Protected Status (TPS)
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

Additional Details

Pro Bono opportunities? Yes