The Council on American‑Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil‑liberties group, filed a federal lawsuit against Texas Governor Greg Abbott after he designated CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist and transnational criminal organizations. CAIR called the designation “unconstitutional and defamatory.”
Abbott’s proclamation, which bars the groups and affiliates from acquiring land in Texas and authorizes heightened enforcement actions, drew immediate backlash from CAIR, which blasted the designation as “unconstitutional and defamatory” and accused the governor of targeting American Muslims for their advocacy.
As reported by Breitbart Texas, Abbott designated the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist organizations and transnational criminal organizations on Tuesday. The designation allows authorities within the Lone Star State to take heightened enforcement actions against the organization and its affiliates.
Shortly after signing the declaration, in a press release issued at the state capitol, Abbott offered the following comments regarding the designation, saying, “The Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR have long made their goals clear: to forcibly impose Sharia law and establish Islam’s ‘mastership of the world. The actions taken by the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR to support terrorism across the globe and subvert our laws through violence, intimidation, and harassment are unacceptable.”
The proclamation signed by Abbott described CAIR as an Islamist organization that, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, “was founded as a ‘front group’ for ‘Hamas and its support network’ in the United States.
According to a press release issued by CAIR on Thursday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton was named as a party in the lawsuit along with Governor Abbott. In the statement released by CAIR, General Counsel Lena Masri described the group’s previous legal actions against the state, saying, “CAIR Legal Defense Fund has successfully sued and defeated Texas Governor Greg Abbott the last three times he tried to violate the First Amendment by punishing critics of the Israeli government.”
CAIR categorized Abbott’s designation of the group as a foreign terrorist organization, referring to the governor as an “Israel First politician,” saying, “We are not and will not be intimidated by smear campaigns launched by Israel First politicians like Mr. Abbott. Mr. Abbott is defaming us and other American Muslims because we are effective advocates for justice here and abroad.”
The Governor’s designation carries stiff civil penalties if allowed to stand; among other consequences, it will prohibit CAIR, the Muslim Brotherhood, and their affiliates from purchasing or acquiring land in Texas. Abbott described the implications of the designation, adding, “These radical extremists are not welcome in our state and are now prohibited from acquiring any real property interest in Texas.”
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Before his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on X @RandyClarkBBTX.
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