CAIR-Philadelphia filed a federal lawsuit against the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and the United States Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) on March 14, 2013. The lawsuit alleged the FBI unlawfully interfered with our client’s green card application which was timely filed in 2006. After CAIR-Philadelphia initiated this lawsuit, and after a 7 year delay in his immigration proceedings, our client suddenly received his green card in the mail. CAIR-Philadelphia withdrew the lawsuit after this favorable result. We believe the filing of the lawsuit led to this favorable result, and we have seen a similar result in other immigration delay cases involving Muslim applicants in the Philadelphia area.
SEE Complaint: Complaint for Mandamus and Injunctive Relief (pdf)
SEE Motion to Withdraw: Motion to Withdraw Complaint as Moot (pdf)
CAIR-Philadelphia is not an immigration law firm, and we do not handle routine immigration cases. We do, however, litigate cases against the Government which broadly affect the Muslim community. We took on this case for three main reasons. 1. Civil and human rights groups have expressed growing concern that Muslims and those emigrating from Muslim-majority countries are experiencing lengthier delays in the adjudication of their immigration petitions. 2. It is well documented that the FBI has increasingly targeted the Muslim community, including unlawful interference in Muslim applicants’ immigration proceedings. 3. CAIR-Philadelphia has made it a priority to legally challenge federal agencies that we believe are unfairly targeting American Muslims.
SEE Documents:
This particular case has not only helped one individual, but it calls attention to a deeper matter. Through the filing of this federal lawsuit, CAIR-Philadelphia has sent a strong message to both agencies that we will stand against unlawful “fishing expeditions” in the Philadelphia-area Muslim community.
We see it as our duty, as Americans, to ensure that the rule of law is applied fairly and equally to all Americans, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, or national origin. This case is only one example of CAIR-Philadelphia’s work in this area. We have written previously about our recent legal success against the U.S. Department of Justice in a case which tested whether rules relating to security clearance levels were being unfairly applied to a federal employee in Pennsylvania. The case we describe above tests whether immigration proceedings are being unfairly applied to our community. In the upcoming weeks, we will describe our significant litigation efforts to ensure that federal criminal law is being fairly applied to Philadelphia-area Muslims.
As a result of our litigation efforts, a new CAIR-Philadelphia has emerged. We are an agency firmly dedicated to protecting the legal equality of American Muslims. Please support the new CAIR-Philadelphia as we continue to fight for your right to be treated fairly and equally by your Government.
