RECOMMENDATIONS

 

To advance the civil rights of all communities, CAIR-CA urges reaching out to our legal teams for assistance and representation. Considering the nature of complaints our offices received in 2020, CAIR-CA’s legal staff make the following recommendations.

INDIVIDUALS

  1. In every instance, CAIR-CA recommends documenting evidence of discrimination, harassment, and instances of anti-Muslim bigotry so that legal remedies and advocacy strategies can best bring about a redress of civil rights violations.
  2. Individuals dealing with immigration issues, such as naturalization, adjustment of status, relative petitions,asylum, and removal defense should challenge them using legal assistance and by contacting their local elected officials.
  3. Individuals who are currently incarcerated should report denials of religious services and accommodations as well as retaliation by prison officials should document any discriminatory incidents through the appropriate prison grievance procedures.
  4. Students should immediately report bullying and harassment to parents, teachers, and school administrators.
  5. Students who require religious accommodations for clothing, food, or time off, should contact teachers and school administration of their need to do so, in alignment with local or state laws.
  6. Students who face instances of discrimination and violations of First Amendment rights on college and university campuses should document and report these instances to college administrators and consider consulting attorneys, where applicable.
  7. When confronted by FBI/law enforcement agents, assert your right to remain silent and right to legal counsel.
  8. Assert your rights when you are traveling, if approached by the FBI, CBP, or TSA for voluntary questioning, and/or when subject to enhanced questioning and screening procedures while traveling.
  9. If you or a loved one have been a witness to, or targeted by, a hate crime or incident, please report it to your local police department for documentation and support purposes.
  10. Employees facing harassment and discrimination based on protected characteristics such as religion and ethnicity should immediately contact their supervisors or Human Resources department and report such behavior, preferably via e-mail to maintain written records.



ELECTED OFFICIALS

  1. Local and state officials should work to end surveillance programs and policing strategies that target communities of color such as CVE and FBI’s JTTF partnerships.
  2. Community organizations, municipalities, and local law enforcement agencies should cease all partnerships with federal law enforcement agencies, such as the FBI, DHS, ICE and CBP, that are involved in mass surveillance and information gathering of vulnerable communities.
  3. Congress should pass the No Ban Act which would essentially limit present and succeeding executive branches from abusing the Immigration and Nationality Act to enact the Muslim Ban among other discriminatory policies.
  4. Congress should pass the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021 that would provide a new pathway to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants as well as removing several roadblocks for employment-based immigrants in obtaining visas and permanent residency.



EMPLOYERS

  1. Employers should prioritize creating equitable workplaces by ensuring non-discrimination policies are enacted. Further, employers should take swift and decisive action against employees who engage in discriminatory or harassing behavior against their co-workers.
  2. Employers should institute microaggression and other anti-bias trainings are facilitated to promote a culture of continued learning.
  3. Employers should create accountability mechanisms to ensure that employees are empowered to address systemic issues through collaboration and open dialogue.



INSTITUTIONS

  1. Prisons should ensure that inmates of all faiths receive personal items and access to facilities necessary to freely practice their religious beliefs, as provided by various state and local laws.
  2. Schools should implement robust anti-bullying and harassment policies including transparent complaint procedures. Schools should also institute regular training modules for teachers and administrators around how to provide culturally competent education and respond to bullying competently.
  3. Colleges and universities should ensure that vulnerable students from targeted communities feel safe by supporting their right to political expression and offering security for those experiencing harassment and physical assault.
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Council on American-Islamic Relations
California (CAIR-CA)

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