CAIR-Chicago Announces Success of Two Citizenship Cases After Unexplained Citizenship Delays

(CHICAGO, IL, 6/21/2021) – The Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy group, today announces success of two citizenship cases. The two clients applied for citizenship with USCIS and were awaiting decisions with no date given for completion. Unable to find help elsewhere, they came to CAIR-Chicago for assistance.

CAIR-Chicago assisted the first applicant who had been waiting three years for his citizenship application. He applied in June 2018 and was interviewed in January 2019. However, he was told at that time that a decision could not be made on his application. Since that time, he made numerous efforts to get a decision on his application. He contacted USCIS many times, both in writing and by phone and on-line, and also scheduled an appointment with the DHS Ombudsman. After those efforts were unsuccessful, he reached out to U.S. Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky’s office for help. Her office was told that the application was still pending and no date could be given for a final decision. Finally, he came to CAIR-Chicago, which took on his case and brought a federal lawsuit on his behalf in order to get a final decision from USCIS on his application. After four months of litigation by CAIR-Chicago, he received a final decision from USCIS granting his citizenship application.

Similarly, CAIR-Chicago assisted a woman who submitted an application on behalf of her husband in Saudi Arabia and had waited more than three years for a final decision on it from USCIS. Her application was received by USCIS in January 2018, and in December 2019 it was transferred to a different office for processing. In September 2019, she contacted Senator Dick Durbin’s office for help. His office was told that the application was still being processed and no date could be given for completion. She also submitted requests for help to U.S. Congressman Daniel Lipinski and U.S. Congresswoman Marie Newman, as well as the DHS Ombudsman. Finally, she contacted CAIR-Chicago, which took on her case and brought a federal lawsuit to get a final decision on her application from USCIS. Shortly after the case was filed, she received a notice for an interview. After her interview, which CAIR-Chicago attended with her, she was told that her application had been granted and the decision would be forwarded to the consulate for completion.

“These cases show the need for an organization like CAIR-Chicago to get results when all other efforts have failed,” said Phil Robertson, Litigation Director for CAIR-Chicago. “It was only because of CAIR-Chicago’s legal team that these applicants were able to get their applications granted. Without the involvement, support, and hard work of CAIR-Chicago’s attorneys, who are supported by the community’s donations to CAIR-Chicago, these individuals would still be waiting for final decisions on their applications. I think these decisions underscore the importance and continuing value of CAIR-Chicago to the Chicagoland Muslim community.”

CONTACT: CAIR-Chicago Executive Director Ahmed Rehab, 202-870-0166, arehab@cair.com; CAIR-Chicago Communications Coordinator Saadia Pervaiz, 312-212-1520, spervaiz@cair.com; CAIR-Chicago Communications Coordinator Hannah Faris, 312-212-1520, hfaris@cair.com;