What We Do: Civil Rights Case Updates

CAIR-Chicago works hard as a valuable resource for the Muslim community to make sure that law enforcement and the justice system works fairly and efficiently for everyone regardless of religion, ethnicity, or citizenship status. Here are a few examples of our continuing civil rights work.

• Muslim Somali workers at a JB Swift plant in Grand Island, Nebraska, were not permitted time for daily prayers during their work shifts. The company alleged it would cost too much money for the workers to pray outside their breaks, as it would cause line stoppages. CAIR-Chicago filed charges against Swift with the EEOC on behalf of 30+ workers at the plant for violating their religious freedoms by failing to accommodate their prayer schedule. The EEOC took up the case and is now working with CAIR-Chicago to secure their religious rights.
• A Muslim nuclear medicine technician was discriminated against in her employment by Advocate Health Systems, which would not adjust her work schedule to accommodate her observance of religious holidays. When she brought the issue to the attention of Human Resources, they ignored her requests, and she was subsequently subjected to further discrimination in the form of a hostile work environment. CAIR-Chicago filed suit against Advocate for religious and ethnic origin discrimination.
• A Muslim man from Syria who came to the U.S. on a student visa now feels he cannot go home due to the violence and atrocities there, and because he feels he will be recruited by the current regime to become part of the military. He is seeking asylum in the U.S. so that he can stay here with his family instead of returning to Syria, where he fears he will either be unwillingly forced into military service, or imprisoned, tortured, or killed. CAIR-Chicago assisted him in filing his asylum application and getting him Temporary Placement Status (TPS), and is now helping him get a work authorization card.