Frequently Asked Questions

IALDF is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting and advancing the civil rights of Iranian Americans as well as addressing marketplace and employment discrimination through strategic legal action, community-based education, and coordinated rapid response.

In recent years, Iranian Americans have faced an increase in legal and institutional challenges—from immigration delays and detentions to unjust business scrutiny and banking discrimination. IALDF was created to ensure our community has a dedicated, professional legal infrastructure to respond to these challenges proactively and to secure lasting legal protections for generations to come.

IALDF was created to complement—not replicate—the vital work of our peer organizations. While groups like the Pars Equality Center, PAAIA, and IABA play critical roles in social services, policy advocacy, and professional legal development, IALDF focuses exclusively on legal defense, impact litigation, rapid response, and community empowerment.

Our work includes direct legal intervention and education, the development of strategic test cases, representation in the courts, and rapid response—all designed to respond swiftly and effectively to legal threats facing the Iranian American community.

From the outset, we have maintained regular and meaningful communication with the leadership of these three organizations to create a coordinated, complementary framework that strengthens our collective impact.

Looking ahead, we plan to expand our partnerships to include additional community-based organizations. If you represent or lead such an organization, we welcome your outreach and look forward to collaborating in service of our shared mission.

IALDF prioritizes cases with broad community impact, including:

• Immigration (such as delays, detentions, deportation)
• Civil rights violations (such as hate crimes, racial profiling, First Amendment issues)
• Economic discrimination (such as employment bias, banking closures, unfair lending or licensing practices)
• Policy-based litigation related to national origin discrimination

Whereas we can only take on cases with broad community impact, we strive to offer appropriate referrals or guidance whenever possible.

Our services are primarily for individuals living in the U.S. who face discrimination, civil rights violations, or systemic injustice. However, we assess cases based on their legal significance and broader community impact, regardless of citizenship or immigration status.

Complete our secure end-to-end encrypted legal intake form built on Blockchain. All submissions are reviewed by our legal team, and you’ll be contacted if we are able to assist or provide a referral.

IALDF’s legal services are offered free of charge. We rely on philanthropic support, grants, and pro bono contributions.

• Donate (our donate page will launch soon)
• Volunteer as a lawyer, translator, organizer, or case reviewer by signing up through our end-to-end encrypted Volunteer Intake Form built on Blockchain
• Share our resources and website with your network
• Subscribe to our newsletter
• Refer community members or cases in need to our intake portal

Every contribution helps us serve more people and expand our reach.

Subscribe to our newsletter for legal alerts and upcoming online events as we share how you can support community members impacted. We share urgent developments, educational resources, and community success stories regularly.

For more information, please contact us at info@ialdf.org.