Following in the footsteps of Texas… Florida classifies CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood as “terrorist organizations”

Yesterday, Monday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced the signing of an executive order designating the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), one of the largest organizations defending Muslim rights in the country, and the Muslim Brotherhood as “foreign terrorist organizations,” after similar steps taken by the state of Texas, according to the New York Times.

DeSantis appears to have followed the example of Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who last month issued a similar decision against the Washington-based non-profit organization. The organization filed a lawsuit against the state of Texas in a federal court objecting to this classification.

DeSantis published a four-page decision through his account on the “X” platform without issuing any additional comment, unlike what he usually does in public events to announce executive orders. In a joint statement, CAIR and its Florida branch described the decision as a “showy step,” pledging to file a similar lawsuit against the state, according to the statement issued by it.

The statement said: “Governor DeSantis knows well that CAIR-Florida is an American civil rights organization that has spent decades promoting freedom of expression, religious freedom, and justice for all, including the Palestinian people.”

As in Texas, the Florida resolution also includes the Muslim Brotherhood, and notes that “CAIR was founded by persons associated with the Muslim Brotherhood,” according to the resolution.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated that similar steps at the federal level are “under preparation.”

Unlike the Texas ruling, Florida’s executive order does not appear to impose restrictions on CAIR, which has an office in Tampa, or the Brotherhood’s purchase of real estate within the state.

The resolution calls on state agencies to prevent CAIR and the Brotherhood, and any entity known to have provided “material support or resources” to them, from obtaining government contracts, jobs, funding, or any public benefits.

The resolution also gives the state’s Homeland Security Council, made up of government agency heads, the authority to review laws, regulations and policies related to “countering potential threats” from the two organizations, and to make recommendations on any additional actions.

“The State Homeland Security Oversight Board must conduct a comprehensive review of existing legal authorities, regulations, and policies related to addressing threats posed by designated organizations, and recommend any additional actions required, to be submitted to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, before January 6, 2026,” the resolution published by the Florida Governor stated.