FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Muslim Legal Fund of America & CAIR-Chicago Launch the American Muslim Legal Ecosystem (AMLE)
First National, Community-Powered Legal Referral Platform for American Muslims
(Richardson, TX, 1/13/2026) – Muslim Legal Fund of America (MLFA) the nation’s only Muslim organization focused on federal litigation and constitutional defense, and the Chicago office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, are proud to announce the official launch of the American Muslim Legal Ecosystem (AMLE) — the first coordinated, community-powered legal referral and resource platform serving American Muslims in Illinois. .
Debuting in Chicago and Texas before expanding nationwide, this groundbreaking initiative is made possible through support from The Tides Foundation.
AMLE is a national digital hub designed to connect American Muslims with trusted, culturally competent legal professionals. The platform will:
- Offer smart referrals to attorneys experienced in serving Muslim communities
- Maintain a national directory of Muslim legal professionals
- Provide accessible legal education resources, such as know-your-rights guides, videos, and guides
By centralizing referrals and resources, AMLE ensures that legal support for American Muslims is no longer fragmented, but strategic, networked, and community-driven.
Muslim communities across the United States increasingly face workplace discrimination, civil rights violations, unjust surveillance, immigration and family law challenges, Islamophobia, and more.
Despite these growing needs, legal support remains siloed and difficult to navigate. AMLE responds directly to this gap by building a cooperative infrastructure that empowers both clients and legal advocates in Illinois and potentially other states in the future.
How to Join
Legal professionals in Illinois — including private attorneys, law firms, and nonprofit organizations, and community partners can join AMLE in minutes by creating an account at:
https://amle.us/legal
Once you sign up, you can add your legal organization or law firm, share your areas of expertise (immigration, civil rights, family law, personal injury, etc.), upload and contribute educational content such as guides, PDFs, and videos, be recognized in our directory, with your website linked and resources credited.
“AMLE builds the legal infrastructure our community urgently needs,” said Arshia Ali-Khan, CEO of MLFA. “By linking American Muslims to culturally aware and skilled attorneys, we’re making justice more accessible and collaborative.”
“Too often, American Muslims don’t know where to turn for legal help,” said Ahmed Rehab, Executive Director of CAIR-Chicago. “AMLE changes that — it’s not just a directory, but a community ecosystem rooted in trust.”
Background
In October 2022, MLFA and CAIR-Chicago were awarded a $200,000 grant from Muslim Collaboration Prizes (sponsored by the Waraich Family Fund) to build AMLE. AMLE’s launch reflects the organizations’ shared mission to strengthen institutional collaboration, close service gaps, and increase access to justice for American Muslims.
About Muslim Legal Fund of America (MLFA)
MLFA is the nation’s only Muslim organization focused on federal litigation and constitutional defense. We envision an America where constitutional rights and liberties are not mere promises on paper but lived realities, upheld fiercely and equally for everyone, irrespective of ethnicity, religion, or cultural heritage. At MLFA, we champion this vision and mission at the highest levels of our nation’s legal system, relentlessly safeguarding and asserting the rights of American Muslims and their institutions. Our commitment is unyielding as we vigorously challenge injustice within constitutional and national security law at the federal level, empowering our communities to thrive with dignity, resilience, and equal protection under the law.
About CAIR-Chicago
CAIR-Chicago engages in legal advocacy, education, and civil rights defense for the Muslim community in Chicago and beyond, leveraging a model of “professional Muslim activism.” CAIR-Chicago’s mission is to defend civil rights, fight bigotry, and promote tolerance.
CONTACT: Adnan Alhabian, AMLE Project Manager — [email protected] / [email protected] / 773-807-1892 | Hafsa Haider, Communications Director, CAIR-Chicago — [email protected] / 561-317-7509 | Ruhama Berta, Marketing & Communications Manager, MLFA — [email protected]
