Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has launched an unprecedented campaign against the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), demanding the state attorney general strip the organization of its nonprofit status and eliminate its operations in Texas — part of a broader effort to designate both CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist organizations.
In a sweeping series of actions that have sent shockwaves through civil liberties circles, Abbott issued a formal proclamation Wednesday designating CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood as “foreign terrorist organizations” and “transnational criminal organizations” under Texas law, despite neither group being classified as such by the federal government or U.S. State Department.
“Voluminous documents detail the dangers posed to Texans by the Muslim Brotherhood, CAIR, and their affiliates,” Abbott declared in a statement. “Regardless of the façade CAIR attempts to portray in press releases, CAIR cannot be allowed to use its ‘nonprofit’ status as a shield for sponsoring terror, advancing radical Islamism in Texas, or fronting for the Muslim Brotherhood.”
Sweeping Legal Maneuvers
The governor’s proclamation invokes a recently passed Texas law that grants him expanded powers based on “national security threat assessments,” allowing him to ban the organizations from purchasing or acquiring land in the state. Abbott has also directed the Texas Department of Public Safety to launch criminal investigations into both groups and ordered investigations into what he referred to as “Sharia Courts” operating in Texas.
Going further, Abbott instructed Attorney General Ken Paxton to pursue legal action that could potentially dissolve the organizations entirely. “Under Texas law, ‘the Texas Attorney General is the only elected official charged with regulating’ nonprofits that may be violating the law, including by examining their records and stripping their corporate charters. You have used these tools before; I urge you to use them now to combat CAIR,” Abbott wrote in his directive.
The governor has even demanded that Bridgeland High School in the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District cancel plans to host the 2026 Houston Islamic Games, which he claims are sponsored by CAIR. “It has come to my attention that Bridgeland High School intends to offer public school facilities to host the 2026 Houston Islamic Games,” Abbott stated in a separate letter.
CAIR Responds
Is this legal? CAIR doesn’t think so. The organization has forcefully rejected Abbott’s characterizations, suggesting the governor’s actions are politically motivated and based on debunked conspiracy theories.
“Although we are flattered by Greg Abbott’s obsession with our civil rights organization, his publicity stunt masquerading as a proclamation has no basis in fact or law,” CAIR responded in a statement. “By defaming a prominent American Muslim institution with debunked conspiracy theories and made-up quotes, Mr. Abbott has once again shown that his top priority is advancing anti-Muslim bigotry, not serving the people of Texas.”
The organization didn’t stop there. In a direct challenge to the governor, CAIR added: “While we appreciate his fixation on our civil rights organization, his defamatory declaration lacks any factual or legal basis. We look forward to meeting you in court again, Greg… if you’re willing.”
Legal Questions Remain
Abbott’s proclamation relies on Texas Penal Code and Property Code provisions that he claims give him authority to make such designations. The governor accused the Muslim Brotherhood of participating in terrorism and seeking to destabilize nations, while describing CAIR as its “successor organization.”
Legal experts, however, have raised serious questions about whether a state governor has the authority to designate organizations as terrorist groups — a power typically reserved for federal authorities. The U.S. government has not designated either CAIR or the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist organizations, despite years of lobbying from conservative lawmakers who allege links to Hamas, claims CAIR has consistently denied.
The governor has also requested that U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent suspend CAIR’s federal tax-exempt status, further escalating the conflict to the national level.
For Texas Muslims and civil liberties advocates, Abbott’s actions represent an alarming development that could have far-reaching implications. With court challenges all but certain, the governor’s unprecedented campaign against CAIR may ultimately test the boundaries between state power and federal authority in matters of national security and religious freedom.
