EPIC City: Texas Muslim Developers Call Federal Investigations ‘Misguided’
The developers behind a proposed Muslim-centered community near Dallas have rejected claims of discrimination following the launch of a federal civil rights investigation into the project.
The probe was announced Friday by U.S. Senator John Cornyn, who had previously raised concerns that the development could exclude Christians and Jews, the Associated Press reported.
The project, known as EPIC City, is a planned mixed-use community associated with the East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC), which has not yet been constructed. Developers say the initiative is rooted in religious freedom and inclusion, and argue that it is being unfairly targeted due to its Islamic affiliation.
Sen. Cornyn, a Texas Republican, revealed in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi informed him of the Justice Department’s decision to open a federal civil rights investigation. Cornyn had called for the probe in April, citing fears that the development might operate as a religiously exclusive enclave.
The Justice Department has not publicly confirmed the investigation or responded to media inquiries as of Friday.
The developers, through their attorney Dan Cogdell, dismissed the allegations as baseless and politically motivated. Cogdell emphasized that EPIC City was in full compliance with the law and accused state officials of singling out the project due to its Muslim identity.
The developers have “done nothing illegal and we will cooperate fully with all investigations-regardless of how misguided and unnecessary they are,” he said.
“The attacks on the project about Islamic law and other claims are not only completely without merit and totally misleading but they are dangerous as well,” said Cogdell on Friday.
Cogdell further argued that no such scrutiny would exist if the project were tied to a church or synagogue. “These folks are U.S. citizens, law-abiding, and Texans,” he added.
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State officials, including Republican Governor Greg Abbott and Attorney General Paxton — a 2026 Senate challenger to Cornyn — have also launched investigations into EPIC City. These include inquiries into potential violations of financial regulations, fair housing laws, and claims that the affiliated mosque may have held unauthorized funeral services.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in Dallas has strongly criticized both the state and federal actions, describing them as unconstitutional harassment. The organization maintains that the investigations infringe on the developers’ rights to religious expression and amount to state-sponsored bullying of the Muslim community.
Plans for EPIC City include over 1,000 residential units, a kindergarten-to-12th-grade faith-based school, a community college, elder care facilities, and sports complexes. The site is proposed near the town of Josephine, approximately 30 miles (48 kilometers) northeast of Dallas.
Source: Agencies
