Southwestern Illinois Development Authority v. Al-Muhajirum

This is a case where the Southwestern Illinois Development Authority (SWIDA) used its advertised power of eminent domain to transfer ownership of property from one private entity to another. SWIDA took property owned by an Illinois not-for-profit religious corporation, the Masjid Al-Muhajirum, and Ruth McGee (collectively, the Mosque), and transferred it to a limited partnership composed of private investors. The partnership was formed to acquire and amass a large tract of East St. Louis land. The land acquisition was to be the first step of an ambitious development project. The new owners of…