COMMUNITY ALERT: Know Your Rights, Youth Workshops, Hate Crimes, and Media Assistance

This alert serves as a reminder of the professional services and resources that CAIR-Chicago provides to community members. Our office works with a number of youth, immigration, civil rights and interfaith organizations, and we have also presented on these issues with our partner organizations. Please contact our office if you have any questions, suggestions or would like us to come to your community to give a presentation on any of these topics, or meet to discuss any of these issues.  This alert does not constitute legal advice. If you have questions regarding a specific situation, consult with an attorney.   CIVIL RIGHTS & LAW ENFORCEMENT CONTACTS It is imperative that we understand our constitutional rights, and how to assert our constitutional rights regardless of immigration or legal status, ability to speak English, age, race, religion, national origin/ethnicity, etc.   1) FBI CONTACT OR VISIT   If an FBI or law enforcement agent comes to your home or workplace, you do not have to answer any questions. You have the right to remain silent, and you have a right to have an attorney present during an interview or questioning.   If you are at home, step outside and close the door behind you. Ask the officer or agent to show you their identification. Then politely say, “Please give me your business card (or contact information). My lawyer will call you.”   If you are at work, lead them away from your personal work space. Ask the officer or agent to show you their identification. Then politely say, “Please give me your business card (or contact information). My lawyer will call you.”   Then, contact our office at: (312) 212-1520, and ask to speak to an attorney. You may also email Staff Attorney Rabya Khan at: rabya.khan@cair.com.   2) GRAND JURY SUBPOENA   A grand jury subpoena is a written order for you to go to court and testify about information you may have. If you are served or given a grand jury subpoena, contact a criminal defense attorney.   If you need referrals or assistance in contacting a criminal defense attorney, contact our office at (312) 212-1520 and ask to speak to an attorney or the Civil Rights department.   3) KNOW YOUR RIGHTS PRESENTATIONS   We are available to provide Know Your Rights presentations on your constitutional rights with law enforcement including rights at the border/travel, search warrants, grand jury subpoenas, arrests, traffic stops, etc.   We can also provide Know Your Rights presentations on other civil rights topics such as your rights in the workplace, social media issues, or immigration rights.   You can submit a request online here: cairchicago.org/request-a-know-your-rights-presentation/   If you experience discrimination or profiling in other situations such as employment, immigration or traveling, you may contact our Civil Rights department at (312) 212-1520 or report it on our website: cairchicago.org/report-discrimination/.   YOUTH PRESENTATIONS Please contact us if you would like to arrange a presentation for youth on bullying, internet safety, constitutional rights, law enforcement contacts, hate crimes, identity, or other issues.   Contact: Outreach Coordinator Gerald Hankerson, (312) 212-1520 or ghankerson@cair.com.   HATE CRIMES, THREATS, OR BULLYING Call 911 or your local police department to report any suspicious activity, hate crimes, threatening phone calls, text messages, or emails, or harassment. These could be individual threats or harassment, or threats against a mosque, school or organization.   If bullying or harassment is taking place at school, report it to the school, and contact our office.   If bullying or harassment is taking place at work, report it to the human resources department or a supervisor, and contact our office.   Call our office to report any incidents of hate crimes, threats, harassment or bullying after reporting it to the police, supervisor, human resources department or school.   Contact: Staff Attorney Rabya Khan, (312) 212-1520 or rabya.khan@cair.com.   MEDIA ASSISTANCE If you want to report media bias, of if your mosque or organization would like a workshop on how to interact or talk to the media, please contact our Communications Department.   Contact: Communications Coordinator Renner Larson, (312) 212-1520 or rlarson@cair.com.