Muslim Civic Coalition Proud to Support the Reimagining Safety Act: Why it's Personal for Illinois Muslims
Chicago, IL (Sept. 28, 2026) — The Muslim Civic Coalition was proud to contribute to the Reimaging Safety Act, legislation announced by Congresswoman Delia Ramirez last week that would dismantle the Department of Homeland Security, abolish ICE, and reinvest dollars into real safety for our communities.
The Coalition provided feedback during development of the legislation and joined Congresswoman Ramirez and community leaders at a Sept. 21 press conference as she announced the bill.
“For Illinois Muslim communities, this bill is personal,” said Muslim Civic Coalition Executive Director Amina Barhumi. “DHS has been surveilling and silencing us since its founding. Instead of terrorizing our communities, our government should be investing in them – and this proposal lays out a real roadmap for accountability, safety, and well-being.”
A legacy of harm
After September 11, Americans were told the newly-established Department of Homeland Security would keep us safe. What American Muslims experienced instead were surveillance programs using religious and racial profiling targeting our livelihoods, families, and sacred spaces. All the while, DHS was failing to prevent the real domestic terrorism threat – white supremacist violence, which by DHS's own admission in 2020 has been "the most persistent and lethal threat facing the United States."
None of it made a single person safer. Twenty-five years later, that harm continues: students and community leaders targeted because of their advocacy for Palestine, children separated from their families, and deaths in detention at record levels. And we are paying for it with our tax dollars.
Investing in communities
Beyond breaking up the massive DHS and redirecting funds to community services, the Reimagining Safety Act would establish a new Department of Community Safety and limit government surveillance, rein in unlawful abuses of data, and curb militarized enforcement among other actions.
During the policy development process, Congresswoman Ramirez, who represents IL-03, centered the communities impacted by these inhumane policies to “ensure those closest to the problems are also closest to the solutions.”
“Laws made for us must be made with us,” said Barhumi. “The Coalition is proud to support this legislation, and we thank Congresswoman Delia Ramirez for the courage to involve impacted communities in drafting the bill.”
Read more about the Reimagining Safety Act here.