Citizenship Status

Citizenship status in Federal law and Illinois State laws protects workers discriminated against based on unlawful citizenship requirements. The law in Illinois is based on the Illinois Human Rights Act (“IHRA“). Under the Act you can file a complaint if you believe you are the victim of discrimination. Cases based on Citizenship status are usually brought before the Illinois Department of Human Rights (“IDHR“).

My office gets many calls from people who thing they are being discriminated against based on race and many times the real category of discrimination is Citizenship not race. For example, in Illinois only three categories of race are recognized: Black, White and Asian. Some I get many calls from people from Mexico who believe they are being singled out because they are Hispanic. However since Hispanic isn’t a recognized race in Illinois, a claim can’t be filed based on that. This is where an experienced employment lawyer can make the difference in your case.

Immigration and Nationality Act

There is a difference between being authorized to work in the United States and being here illegally. The Immigration and Nationality Act(“INA”) does not allow employers to hire an individual who is not authorized to work here. If you follow politics, you can see this is a hot issue right now and sure to get more attention in the future. Employers are constantly looking for reasons to single out employees or prospective employees.

You should know and protect your rights. Many times racial discrimination is a motivation for discriminating against a worker based on citizenship status. As stated earlier, it takes experience with this issue to maximize your claim. And if you try and do this yourself the other side won’t take you serious. Also, there is a chance you won’t get the right evidence or even file under the right category. I can help the investigator through the process at the fact-finding conference. Don’t risk losing your case by doing it yourself.

National Origin Discrimination

In Illinois an employer cannot discriminate against individuals based on national origin or citizenship status with respect to their hiring or firing. Because of the condition of the economy there seem to be many more cases of discrimination in Illinois. My Chicago office handles such cases and they can be tricky. It is very important that you seek help immediately because of the strict time limits involved. The law is in place to help so make sure you take full advantage of it. Don’t let a bigoted boss ruin your future. With this tight job market it may take a long time to find another job. There are monetary damages available to you if a discrimination claim can be proven. Again this is where experience counts. There are ways to maximize your damage and good advice is needed on this point.

Call to Action

If you believe you are the victim of discrimination based on Citizenship Status or any other form of employment discrimination, please contact my office via email or phone 312-505-5038. There is never a charge to discuss your case. My officed doesn’t collect any money unless I recover money for you. Most people don’t have enough money to pay an attorney an hourly rate so I work with this system to help workers. This system allows the average worker the best chance of being successful and of having their claim heard.