Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has officially labeled the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) — a major U.S. Muslim civil rights group — as a “foreign terrorist organization.”
The order mirrors a nearly identical move made by Texas Governor Greg Abbott last November, despite the fact that only the federal government has the legal authority to designate terrorist groups.
CAIR and its supporters blasted the order, calling it a political stunt rooted in Islamophobia.
Both the national and Florida CAIR chapters said DeSantis signed a “defamatory and unconstitutional” executive order and vowed to sue the state, just as they have in Texas.
“Governor DeSantis knows full well that CAIR-Florida is an American civil rights organization,”
the groups said, arguing that the governor is prioritizing “serving the Israeli government over serving the people of Florida.”
What DeSantis Ordered
DeSantis claims the order is “effective immediately” and also targets the Muslim Brotherhood — a global Islamist movement founded in 1928.
Neither CAIR nor the Muslim Brotherhood appears on the U.S. government’s official Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) list.
Still, the order instructs state agencies to deny resources, access, or any support to anyone “providing material support” to CAIR or the Brotherhood.
DeSantis argues CAIR was “founded by persons connected to the Muslim Brotherhood,” tying both groups to Hamas and the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel — claims CAIR strongly rejects.
CAIR’s Response
The organization says DeSantis and Abbott are targeting American Muslims who criticize U.S. support for Israel’s war in Gaza.
They accuse DeSantis of:
- smearing U.S. Muslim civil rights advocates
- weaponizing state power against political dissent
- diverting “millions” in Florida taxpayer dollars into Israeli government bonds
- fueling anti-Muslim sentiment
Push for Anti-Sharia Legislation
DeSantis also claimed Florida lawmakers are now drafting legislation to “stop the creep of sharia law,” urging them to codify permanent restrictions against CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood.
Texas’s parallel order goes even further — banning CAIR and the Brotherhood from purchasing property in the state and authorizing closures of affiliated entities.
In response, CAIR reminded Abbott that it has spent 30 years fighting racism, Islamophobia, antisemitism, and all forms of unjust violence.