# Florida and Texas Label CAIR as Terrorist Organization
*Los gobernadores DeSantis y Abbott impulsan designaciones estatales que generan controversia legal y preocupaciones sobre libertades civiles para el grupo musulmán.*

- Medio: Orlando Ledger News (https://orlandoledgernews.com)
- URL: https://orlandoledgernews.com/noticia/florida-y-texas-etiquetan-a-cair-como-organizacion-terrorista
- Sección: Politics
- Autor: Orlando Ledger News Staff
- Publicado: 2026-08-01T07:05:20.485Z
> Governors of Florida and Texas designate CAIR as a terrorist group. The measure faces lawsuits alleging constitutional rights violations and could force the closure of state chapters.

## Las claves

- The governments of Florida and Texas have officially designated CAIR as a terrorist organization.
- This action occurred in Florida and Texas, where Governor Ron DeSantis led the initiative for this 32-year-old nonprofit.
- If upheld legally, the law will force the permanent closure of CAIR's Tampa affiliate affecting over half a million people.

In a move that has redefined the national security landscape at the state level, the governments of Florida and Texas have officially designated the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) as a terrorist organization. This decision represents a significant departure from the traditional federal monopoly in counterterrorism labeling, where government agencies use extensive intelligence infrastructures to make such determinations. Governors Ron DeSantis and Greg Abbott have led this initiative, focusing state attention on CAIR, a 32-year-old nonprofit with headquarters in Washington and active chapters in more than 20 states.

### Legal Implications and Constitutional Criticisms

The designation has triggered new concerns about civil liberties, according to some legal experts. CAIR is challenging these terrorist labels both in Texas and Florida through the courts, arguing that state decisions violate their constitutionally guaranteed rights, including freedom of speech, the right to free association, and due process of law. For an organization that has spent decades defending Muslim civil interests, these labels open a challenging legal front in its long-standing dispute with American conservatives, many of whom have repeatedly accused the group of having ties to violent extremists, accusations CAIR has consistently denied.

### Real Consequences for State Chapters

The practical consequences of these designations are particularly severe in Florida. A new state statute establishes that it is a felony to provide "material support" to a designated terrorist organization, while also allowing the state to dissolve such groups under certain circumstances. If this law withstands current legal challenges, it is expected to force the permanent closure of CAIR's Tampa-based state affiliate. This chapter claims to represent a Muslim community in Florida exceeding 500,000 people, which poses a direct and significant impact on the local population, a story we covered in [Florida Faces Legal Challenge Over Same](/noticia/florida-faces-legal-challenge-over-same-day-executions).

### Political and Social Context

Governor Ron DeSantis did not respond to requests for comment for this report, nor did several sponsors of the new law in Florida. In a social media post promoting state legislation, DeSantis wrote that the state has "a responsibility to defend and reinvigorate Western civilization." Beyond directly addressing the issue of terrorism, the law also references conservative fears about Islamic influence by limiting the use of Muslim religious rules known as sharia by courts and certain other government bodies.
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Fuente original: https://orlandoledgernews.com/noticia/florida-y-texas-etiquetan-a-cair-como-organizacion-terrorista