Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has signed an executive order labeling the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist organizations for purposes of state law, following a similar move by Texas Governor Greg Abbott last month. The directive alleges ties between the groups and Hamas and bars them and their supporters from receiving certain state benefits, even though neither organization is listed as a foreign terrorist group by the U.S. federal government.
On Monday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis issued an executive order designating the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Muslim Brotherhood as "foreign terrorist organizations" under Florida law.
The order, posted on the social media platform X, mirrors a directive issued in November by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who similarly labeled CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist organizations and transnational criminal organizations at the state level, according to Abbott's office.
DeSantis' executive order asserts that the Muslim Brotherhood's ideology is incompatible with core American values and alleges that the group seeks to establish a global Islamic caliphate. The order also notes that Hamas, the Palestinian militant group designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the U.S. government, was founded in 1987 and has historical roots in the Muslim Brotherhood. Florida's order links that history to the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks in southern Israel, which killed roughly 1,200 people, including U.S. citizens, and triggered a devastating Israeli military response in Gaza, according to Israeli and local health officials.
The Florida directive further claims that U.S.-based entities tied to the Muslim Brotherhood helped establish CAIR in 1994 and cites past federal court filings in a major terrorism-financing case in which CAIR was named an unindicted co-conspirator. It references language from DeSantis' order stating that CAIR was "founded by persons connected to the Muslim Brotherhood" and was created as a U.S.-based cover to conceal ties to Islamist extremist groups. CAIR has long denied having any relationship with Hamas or involvement in terrorism and notes that it has never been charged in that case.
Neither CAIR nor the Muslim Brotherhood is designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department, and legal experts note that only the federal government can make such designations for purposes of federal law. The Florida order, like Texas' proclamation, operates at the state level and does not carry the immigration, asset-freeze or criminal penalties that accompany a federal terrorist designation.
Under DeSantis' order, Florida executive and cabinet agencies are instructed to take all lawful measures to prevent unlawful activities by CAIR, the Muslim Brotherhood and those who provide them with material support. That includes denying state contracts, employment, funding, benefits and other privileges to the organizations and their supporters, according to the text of the directive and summaries by multiple news outlets.
CAIR, which describes itself as the largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States and says it operates about 25 chapters nationwide, condemned the Florida order as defamatory and unconstitutional. In a joint statement cited by Al Jazeera and other outlets, CAIR's national office and its Florida chapter accused DeSantis of prioritizing Israeli government interests and said the designations in Florida and Texas are intended to silence American Muslims critical of U.S. support for Israel's conduct in Gaza.
“From the moment Ron DeSantis took office as Florida governor, he has prioritised serving the Israeli government over serving the people of Florida,” CAIR and CAIR-Florida said in the statement, adding that both DeSantis and Abbott are "Israel First politicians" seeking to "smear and silence" Americans, especially American Muslims, who oppose Israeli policies. CAIR says its Florida chapter has long worked to defend free speech, religious liberty and civil rights, including for Palestinians, and has pledged to challenge DeSantis' order in court as it is already doing with Abbott's proclamation in Texas.
CAIR previously asked a federal judge to strike down Abbott's November designation, arguing that it violates the U.S. Constitution and is not grounded in Texas law. Abbott has defended his action, claiming that the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR seek to "forcibly impose Sharia law" and support terrorism, and has urged federal authorities to scrutinize CAIR's tax-exempt status, according to a statement from his office and a report in The Daily Wire.
DeSantis has framed Florida's order as part of a broader effort to counter what he describes as extremist organizations and to restrict the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood and its alleged affiliates in the United States. He has signaled support for additional state legislation aimed at codifying the designations and curbing what he calls the "creep of Sharia law," a push that critics say reflects a broader wave of anti-Muslim rhetoric in state-level politics.
Former President Donald Trump has previously directed his administration to explore designating some foreign branches of the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist organizations, though neither CAIR nor the Muslim Brotherhood as a whole has received that designation at the federal level. Civil liberties advocates and Muslim community organizations warn that the new state-level orders in Texas and Florida could chill free association and religious practice and are likely to be tested in the courts in the months ahead.
