By Staff Report
The Council on American-Islamic Relations has filed a federal lawsuit challenging an executive order issued by Gov. Ron DeSantis that labeled the group a “terrorist” organization, arguing the move is unconstitutional, discriminatory and beyond the governor’s authority.
The lawsuit, filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, accuses DeSantis of targeting the nation’s leading Muslim civil-rights organization because of its advocacy and of retaliating against CAIR for opposing state efforts to dismantle pro-Palestinian groups on college campuses and for condemning Islamophobia.
DeSantis “usurped the exclusive authority of the federal government to identify and designate terrorist organizations by baselessly declaring CAIR a terrorist organization,” the lawsuit said. It also alleged the governor violated CAIR’s due-process rights by unilaterally imposing what it described as immediate punitive and discriminatory actions against the organization and its supporters.
The legal challenge centers on a Dec. 8 executive order in which DeSantis designated CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist organizations. Speaking publicly last week, DeSantis said he would “welcome” a lawsuit from CAIR, suggesting it would allow the state to seek access to the group’s financial records through discovery.
The executive order alleged that individuals associated with CAIR, which has 20 chapters in Florida, “have been convicted of providing, and conspiring to provide, material support to designated terrorist organizations.” It directed state agencies, along with counties and municipalities, to deny contracts, employment, funding, benefits and privileges to CAIR and anyone known to provide “material support” to the organization. The order also instructed the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Florida Highway Patrol to pursue unspecified measures against CAIR and its members.
CAIR’s attorneys countered that the order cites no criminal charges or convictions, relies on no federal terrorist designation and improperly invokes statutory authority. Instead, they argued, the action is rooted in political rhetoric and punishes a domestic civil-rights organization because of its viewpoints and advocacy.
The lawsuit was filed by attorneys from the CAIR Legal Defense Fund, the Muslim Legal Fund of America, the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Michigan-based Akeel & Valentine, PLC law firm.
CAIR has previously been involved in litigation related to Florida’s efforts to disband pro-Palestinian student organizations following Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. Student groups at the University of Florida and the University of South Florida filed First Amendment lawsuits after state university system officials threatened to dismantle the organizations. Ultimately, system Chancellor Ray Rodrigues said no action had been taken, citing legal concerns about potential personal liability.
According to the new lawsuit, DeSantis’ executive order has already had tangible effects. CAIR said a Florida-based production company withdrew from an agreement to help launch a new podcast for the organization after being advised against working with CAIR because of fears of government retaliation or legal exposure.
CAIR litigation director Lena Masri called the executive order “one of the most extreme abuses of executive power” in modern history and said only the federal government has authority to designate terrorist organizations.
“That is not how this country works,” Masri said. “No governor has the power to unilaterally declare an American nonprofit a terrorist organization.”
The lawsuit also points to DeSantis’ public statements welcoming litigation as evidence of an improper motive, arguing the order was intended to retaliate against protected speech, deter advocacy and justify intrusive government scrutiny.
Edward Ahmed Mitchell, CAIR’s national deputy director, compared the actions to tactics used by Southern governors in the 1960s against civil-rights organizations such as the NAACP.
“They tried to ban them from operating. They tried to access their membership lists to scare away donors and supporters,” Mitchell said. “Ultimately, those governors failed, and these tactics will fail again.”
Ali Moreland 