CUNY CLEAR

Grant Type: General Operating

Duration: January 1, 2021 - December 31, 2021

Organization Overview

The Creating Law Enforcement Accountability & Responsibility (CLEAR) Project provides a unique combination of direct legal services, community organizing support, rights, awareness programming, legal expertise, and capacity building aimed at serving American Muslim communities.

Summary

CLEAR provides free direct legal services to community members on issues connected to harmful national security policies and practices. CLEAR has provided direct legal representation or counsel for clients who were approached for questioning by the FBI or other law enforcement, had travel difficulties due to unfair placement on watchlists, and experienced long delays in their applications for immigration benefits. In 2020, CLEAR’s Founder and Director Ramzi Kassem argued before the United States Supreme Court that a group of Muslim men should be able to hold the U.S. government accountable for religious discrimination. In 2021, CLEAR continued to facilitate rights awareness workshops at community sites, support community organizing efforts, help build capacity to expand the pool of legal professionals equipped to handle these cases, and advance strategic litigation to address injustices where other advocacy efforts fail.

Year founded: 2009

Location: Long Island City, NY

Website: https://www.cunyclear.org/