Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Faces Lawsuit Over CAIR Terrorist Designation
On 9 December, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis designated the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and its Florida chapter as foreign terrorist organizations at CAIR-Florida's Tampa headquarters. This designation labels CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist groups and directs Florida agencies to bar them and their supporters from contracts, employment, or accessing state funds.
Following this, the CAIR Foundation and CAIR-Florida filed a lawsuit late Monday in Tallahassee, seeking a federal court declaration that DeSantis' order is unlawful and aiming to block its enforcement. The suit contends that DeSantis oversteps federal authority to designate terrorist organizations and targets CAIR for its defense of Palestinian rights and free speech. CAIR, which has over 20 chapters nationwide and engages in legal actions, advocacy, and education, represents about 500,000 Muslim residents in Florida.
The designation by DeSantis follows a federal process and echoes an executive order by former President Donald Trump, who had previously designated Muslim Brotherhood chapters as foreign terrorist organizations. DeSantis' press secretary referred to the governor's social-media posts about investigating CAIR's finances. The governor expressed eagerness for a trial to address the matter.
In related developments, Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a similar proclamation, which CAIR is also challenging through a separate lawsuit.
