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    NORTH AMERICAN Newsline                                                   JULY 24, 2026    |  The Indian Eye 22

                Religious Group Sues City of Elgin

                     in Quest to Build Hindu Temple

              Lawsuit Challenges Unconstitutional Court Order Holding Up City Council Approved Development

            NEERAJ DHAR

            Elgin, IL
                   miya Mataji Sanstha Chicago
                   Midwest, filed a lawsuit on July
            U14,  2026,  against  the  City  of
            Elgin, Illinois, in the religious group’s
            quest to construct a Hindu temple.
                Plans for the temple, community
            center, and family homes were pre-
            liminarily approved by the Elgin City
            Council in January 2026. The Umiya
            Mataji Sanstha already owns the 34-
            acre  parcel  at  890  Galt  Boulevard
            (adjacent to Lake Street / US High-
            way 20) on the far east side of Elgin.
            The proposed development aims to
            best situate in the locale between
            an industrial section to the west and
            south and residential areas to the
            north and east.

            The  approval  was  pursuant
            to city zoning regulations and
            consistent with Elgin’s current
            Comprehensive Land Use Plan.

            This  preliminary  approval  was
            the result of an extended re-
            view of the design and layout of
            the property components.

                Elgin is currently unable to enact
            an ordinance granting final approval   of its violation of the free practice of  the City of Elgin as a defendant in  Even the city of Evanston was found-
            of the project, due to a 59-year-old   religion under the First Amendment.  this lawsuit, but only to comply with   ed  as  a  haven  where  Methodists
            court order that restricts the use of  That  decision  also  violates  the  fed- technical legal and jurisdictional re-  could live and worship together.”
            the land for industrial purposes. As   eral Religious Land Use and Insti- quirements  applicable  to  the  litiga-  A statement from the Umiya
            a result, the city council has suspend- tutionalized Persons Act, and other  tion. Attorneys for the Umiya Mataji  Mataji Sanstha noted that, “The
            ed its final approval, while the Umiya   federal and Illinois laws.  Sanstha do not anticipate requesting  Umiya Hindu Community deeply
            Mataji Sanstha seeks relief in court.   The lawsuit also requests mone- any damages to be assessed against  appreciates the American heritage of
            A court order enabling Elgin to ex- tary damages against any defendants   the city, which has been generally  religious freedom, which it embraces
            ercise its legislative zoning authority  who may undertake to oppose the re-  supportive of the project throughout  as its own, and hopes for a resolution
            over the land, in the same way it does   lief requested with new court action.  the development review process.  of this matter through the appropri-
            over all other parcels of land within  This is to prohibit legal attempts to   Attorney  John  Mauck  spoke  to   ate legal channels.”
            the city limits, will allow the project  thwart the use of the land for its in- the religious liberty aspect of the law-  The Umiya Mataji Sanstha Chi-
            to move forward.                  tended and constitutionally protect-  suit, saying, “The Hindu community  cago Midwest is being represented in
                The complaint seeks relief from   ed religious and community purposes.  we represent seeks only to establish  United States District Court for the
            the  1967  court  order  so  that  Elgin   The estimated 300 residents   what thousands of other Americans   Northern District of Illinois by at-
            will be free to grant final approval of  named in the complaint are labeled   already have, a place of worship and   torneys from Mauck & Baker, LLC,
            the Umiya Mataji Sanstha plans to   as the legal successors to the origi- townhomes. Americans have long  a Chicago based firm known for its
            construct the temple complex on the   nal plaintiffs in the 1967 court action,  created religious settlements, from   work defending religious liberty
            land they own. The lawsuit is primar- due to their current ownership of  monasteries and convents to Quaker  and attorneys from Bazos, Freeman,
            ily based on the unconstitutionality  nearby property.              villages, Mennonite enclaves, Shak- Schuster & Pope, LLC, legal zoning
            of the original court order by reason   Additionally, the lawsuit names   er societies, and Amish  fellowships.  and land use experts.

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