Protecting Civil Rights, Inc.
About the Organization
Protecting Civil Rights, Inc. (PCR) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit legal organization founded in 2017. Based in Northeast Ohio, PCR is dedicated to providing free and low-cost immigration legal services, with a specialized focus on immigrant survivors of domestic violence. Our comprehensive practice includes VAWA self-petitions, U visas, family-based petitions, asylum, naturalization, and removal defense—all delivered in each client’s own language.
DOJ Recognition and Accreditation
PCR is officially recognized by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Legal Access Programs (OLAP) to provide immigration legal services under 8 C.F.R. Part 1292. As of June 16, 2026, Executive Director Fadi Kayyali serves as a DOJ-accredited representative before the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Verification is available on the official OLAP roster: justice.gov/eoir/recognition-accreditation-roster-reports
Our Work with Abused Spouses Under VAWA
For many immigrant survivors, an abusive U.S. citizen or resident spouse controls their papers and wields the family petition as a tool of coercion. The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) allows an abused spouse, child, or parent to self-petition for lawful status confidentially, without the abuser’s knowledge or consent. VAWA covers extreme cruelty as well as physical battery, and 8 U.S.C. 1367 strictly protects the petition’s confidentiality.
PCR guides survivors through every stage in their native language—from trauma-informed intake through the self-petition, work authorization, permanent residence, and citizenship—building the legal foundation of a life in which safety no longer depends on the person who caused the harm.
Our Team
Fadi Kayyali, LL.M.
Executive Director & DOJ-Accredited Representative
Fadi Kayyali has dedicated his career exclusively to immigration law. He holds an LL.B. from the University of Jordan and an LL.M. from Case Western Reserve University School of Law in Cleveland, Ohio.
Beginning his career as a law clerk in the United States in 2003 at Jones Day Law Firm, Mr. Kayyali has since successfully obtained hundreds of immigrant and non-immigrant visa petitions. He is a recognized expert for individuals seeking VAWA (Violence Against Women Act) petitions, as well as a wide array of other visas including L-1A, E-1, E-2, EB-5, H-1B, H-2B, B-1, B-2, I-140, I-485, F-1, J-1, I-601 waivers, asylum, K-1, K-3, EB-2, EB-3, and NIW petitions. Fluent in English and Arabic, he is a civil rights activist, a member of several civil rights organizations, and a frequently published author on immigration rules and regulations.
Abdulhalim R. Abdurahman
Pro Bono Attorney
Abdulhalim R. Abdurahman, originally from Hargeisa, Somalia, is a multilingual attorney who speaks Somali, Arabic, Spanish, and English. He received his B.A. from Central Connecticut State College in 1995 and his J.D. from Quinnipiac University in 2003. Admitted to the Connecticut bar in 2004, he practices law as a member of the Law Office of Abdul R. Abdurahman, LLC in West Hartford, Connecticut, and generously offers his services to PCR pro bono.
Attorney Abdurahman is a seasoned advocate in deportation defense, representing individuals facing removal proceedings before immigration courts across the country. His deep knowledge of immigration statutes, regulatory frameworks, and case law enables him to navigate complex legal terrain and counter government arguments with precision during detention, bond, and removal hearings.
In constructing a robust defense, Attorney Abdurahman delves into the unique circumstances of each client—examining immigration history, family ties, employment, humanitarian factors, and risk of persecution. He pursues all available reliefs from removal, including asylum, withholding or deferral of removal, cancellation of removal, and adjustment of status. By combining technical legal skills with a client-focused approach, he is committed to preserving the dignity and rights of vulnerable individuals under threat of deportation.