Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday labeled one of the largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy groups in the U.S. as a “foreign terrorist organization,” following a similar action by Texas last month, according to the AP. The designation targets the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Muslim Brotherhood, and was announced in an executive order shared on the social media platform X. Neither organization is recognized as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. government.
The order directs Florida state agencies to block the two groups—and anyone providing them material support—from receiving state contracts, employment, or funding from executive or cabinet agencies. In response, CAIR and its Florida chapter said in an emailed statement that they plan to sue DeSantis over what they called an “unconstitutional” and “defamatory” move. CAIR, founded in 1994, has 25 chapters nationwide. Last month, the organization also asked a federal judge to overturn Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s similar proclamation, arguing it “not only contradicts the United States Constitution, but has no basis in Texas law.”
The Muslim Brotherhood, founded nearly a century ago in Egypt, has branches around the world. Its leaders say the group renounced violence decades ago and now seeks to achieve Islamic governance through elections and peaceful means. However, critics, including authoritarian governments in the Middle East, continue to view it as a threat.