CAIR Florida Threatens Lawsuit Against Gov. DeSantis Over Terrorist Designation
CAIR Florida plans to sue Governor Ron DeSantis following his executive order that labels CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist organizations. The executive order bars state agencies in Florida from contracting, employing, or funding these groups or related entities.
Hiba Rahim, CAIR Florida deputy executive director, described the order as conspiracy-theory driven and reminiscent of historical targeting of minority communities including Jewish, Irish, and Italian Americans. Rahim emphasized that CAIR defends First Amendment rights, democracy, and American values, and vowed to defend the organization against these accusations. She also linked the designation to DeSantis's strong pro-Israel stance, suggesting CAIR's activism made the U.S. ally uncomfortable.
Governor DeSantis defended the designation, asserting that there are sufficient grounds for it and stated he welcomes the lawsuit, describing the move as a long time coming. Legal experts like Tampa attorney Miranda Margolis argue that DeSantis exceeded his authority by unilaterally designating a nonprofit as a terrorist organization and that the designation lacks both legal and factual basis.
CAIR contends that state-level terrorist designations carry no legal weight compared to federal Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) classifications, which fall under federal jurisdiction. They note that only the U.S. State Department has the authority to issue FTO designations.
