CAIR Sues Florida Governor Over Terror Label Linked to Palestine Advocacy
The lawsuit, submitted Tuesday by CAIR and its Florida chapter, seeks to overturn a recent executive order issued by DeSantis.
The order designates CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist groups, a move the organisation says violates constitutional protections for free speech and due process.
CAIR argues that the executive order lacks a legal basis and misuses state authority. In the court filing, the group states that the order cites no criminal charges or convictions and relies on political claims rather than evidence.
The filing also says the designation imposes broad legal consequences on a domestic advocacy organisation because of its views.
The order was issued amid heightened political debate in the United States over Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza and growing scrutiny of pro-Palestinian activism. CAIR has been involved in legal challenges to state actions restricting such advocacy, including opposition to Florida’s efforts to ban Students for Justice in Palestine chapters.
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According to the lawsuit, CAIR’s representation of pro-Palestinian student groups and its criticism of state censorship form key background to the governor’s decision.
The group maintains that the executive order was intended to deter its advocacy rather than advance a legitimate state interest.
DeSantis has publicly said he would welcome legal action from CAIR, suggesting it would allow the state to seek access to the organisation’s financial records. CAIR’s attorneys cite those remarks as evidence of bias and argue that the governor acted with a predetermined aim.
The lawsuit further contends that only the US secretary of state has the authority to designate a “foreign terrorist organisation.”
On that basis, CAIR says the Florida order is overridden by federal law and provides no mechanism for review or challenge.
The filing describes the order as immediate, open-ended and issued without procedural safeguards.
The Florida case follows similar legal action against a decree issued by Texas Governor Greg Abbott. In Texas, Republican Senator John Cornyn has also called for revoking CAIR’s tax-exempt status, citing allegations that the group seeks to impose Islamic law.
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Islamic law has no legal standing in US courts, and legal experts say such claims have long been used in political campaigns targeting Muslim communities.
CAIR has rejected the allegations, saying it operates lawfully and that there is no legal basis to challenge its nonprofit status.
The case adds to broader concerns among Muslim Americans about rising Islamophobia and the use of state power to restrict political expression related to Palestine.
Source: Agencies
