The passing of the Illinois DREAM Act not only shows that Illinois is an immigrant friendly state, but also that the political power of immigrants in this country is growing stronger. The state of Illinois holds the honor of being the first state in the nation to opt out of the “Secure Communities” program and is the first state in the nation to actually implement a version of the DREAM Act.

CAIR-Chicago would like to congratulate all those who worked tirelessly to get the DREAM Act (SB2185) passed. The bill will go to Gov. Quinn’s desk to be signed, which he has promised to do.

“Far from a victory in the fight for women’s rights, France’s ban of the burqa, the head-to-toe covering worn by some Muslim women, is a red herring, a deflection, and a blow for free societies everywhere,” writes Christina Abraham, CAIR-Chicago’s Civil Rights Director.

Civil Rights Director Christina Abraham speaks on the There Is No Spoon podcast as a panel member discussing the PATRIOT Act.

CAIR-Chicago is pleased to announce the decision by District Court Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer this week to deny DuPage County’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed against the county on behalf of the Irshad Learning Center, a Naperville mosque.

CAIR, which advocates for religious freedom and civil liberties in the Muslim community, also maintains that Irshad officials tried to pursue remedies for the permit refusal through normal administrative channels before filing the federal suit.

Kevin Vodak, the attorney arguing the case for CAIR and Irshad, was pleased overall with the ruling.

CAIR-Chicago, which said the center would serve about 30 families, “will continue to pursue the Center’s right to use the facility they own to accommodate the needs of the community,” said Kevin Vodak, CAIR-Chicago Staff Attorney.

“She’s asking for unpaid leave that means they didn’t have to pay her for the three weeks that she was going to be out and she gave them three months for which to prepare,” argues CAIR-Chicago attorney Christina Abraham.

CAIR-Chicago denounced a vote by the DuPage County board to reject a requested height variance that would have allowed the construction of a minaret and dome at a proposed mosque on 91st Street in unincorporated Willowbrook. A decision on whether to allow the construction of the Muslim Educational Cultural Center of America (MECCA) has still not been made.

CAIR-Chicago participated in an interfaith press conference held on behalf of the Muslim Education and Cultural Center of America (MECCA), the third mosque denied a permit in DuPage County in the past year.