Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced a directive Monday designating the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as foreign terrorist organizations. The move by Florida mirrors a similar action taken previously by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who labeled CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist and transnational criminal organizations.
DeSantis announced the order on X, stating, “Florida agencies are hereby directed to undertake all lawful measures to prevent unlawful activities by these organizations, including denying privileges or resources to anyone providing material support.” The Governor’s order alleges that the Muslim Brotherhood has a long history of engaging in and supporting violence, political assassinations, and terror attacks on civilians. Its intent, the order claims, is to establish a worldwide Islamic caliphate.
The order further states that the Muslim Brotherhood, alongside Hamas, operates active fundraising arms within the United States. It also singles out CAIR, an organization originally created to challenge stereotypes against Islam and Muslims, asserting that individuals associated with the group have been convicted of providing, or aspiring to provide, material support to foreign terrorist organizations. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier immediately voiced support for the Executive Order on X, calling it “Great news!” and confirming, “We are ready to support!”
In a robust joint statement, CAIR and its Florida chapter criticized the DeSantis administration, alleging it has prioritized the interests of the Israeli government over those of Florida’s residents. The statement pointed to the diversion of “millions in Florida taxpayer dollars to the Israeli government’s bonds.” It also recalled the Governor’s threat to shut down campus Students for Justice in Palestine chapters, a move that was dropped only after CAIR filed a federal lawsuit.
The organizations labeled DeSantis as an “Israel First politician” seeking to “smear and silence Americans, especially American Muslims, critical of U.S. support for Israel’s war crimes.” CAIR defended its work, stating that CAIR-Florida is an American civil rights organization dedicated to advancing free speech, religious freedom, and justice for all, including the Palestinian people. They contend that this civil rights group is being targeted with an “unconstitutional and defamatory proclamation” precisely because of its work.
CAIR vowed to defeat the Governor’s action, which they termed his “latest Israel First stunt,” in a court of law, stating that “facts matter and conspiracy theories have no weight.” The group urged all Floridians and Americans to “speak up against this latest attempt to shred the Constitution for the benefit of a foreign government.”
It is important to note that Florida’s designation is at the state level only. This action does not carry the substantial legal weight of a federal Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) listing, which can only be issued by the U.S. State Department. This type of state-level action has faced challenges elsewhere; in Texas, Muslim and interfaith leaders have demanded that Governor Abbott reverse his similar proclamation, and CAIR has filed a lawsuit arguing the Texas declaration violates both the U.S. Constitution and state law.