Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit seeking to ban the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Muslim Brotherhood from operating in the state, marking a significant escalation in the administration’s actions against Islamic organizations.
The lawsuit, filed on February 5, 2026, targets the Muslim Brotherhood, CAIR, and its Austin, Houston, and Dallas-Fort Worth chapters, according to court documents. “Sharia law and the jihadists who follow sharia law have no business being in Texas,” Paxton declared in the filing.
Culmination of Months-Long Campaign
This legal action follows Governor Greg Abbott’s November 2025 proclamation designating both CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist organizations. After issuing that designation, Abbott directed Paxton to pursue enforcement actions, including investigating CAIR’s nonprofit status and working to eliminate its ability to operate within state borders.
The state’s campaign has been building momentum in recent weeks. In late January, Paxton demanded documents from Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District related to negotiations with the Islamic Games, stating that “The spread of radical Islam in Texas must be stopped, and if school districts are continuing to promote or partner with organizations tied to an FTO, that ends now.”
Legal Battles Underway
Is this a straightforward case of enforcement against terrorist organizations? Not quite. CAIR’s Texas chapters have already mounted a legal challenge, suing Governor Abbott in federal court over the terrorist designation.
The legal situation has grown increasingly complex, with Paxton arguing that Abbott’s proclamation doesn’t actually apply to CAIR’s Texas chapters. “In response to CAIR-Texas’ ongoing lawsuit against Governor Abbott’s unconstitutional proclamation targeting our civil rights group, Attorney General Paxton declared that the proclamation does not even apply to CAIR-Texas,” representatives from CAIR-Texas told KERA News.
Despite this apparent contradiction, the state’s enforcement actions continue to move forward. In a January 28 letter to Paxton, Governor Abbott emphasized that the Attorney General is “the only elected official charged with regulating” nonprofits that may be violating the law, specifically mentioning CAIR as an example.
Broader Implications
The lawsuit represents one of the most aggressive actions taken by a state against Islamic organizations in recent memory. Civil liberties groups have expressed concern that the designations and subsequent enforcement actions could infringe upon constitutionally protected rights of religious freedom and association.
CAIR, founded in 1994, describes itself as America’s largest Muslim civil liberties organization. The group has long maintained that it has no ties to terrorism and operates as a legitimate advocacy organization for American Muslims.
As this legal battle unfolds, it’s likely to test the boundaries of state authority in designating and taking action against organizations over alleged terrorist ties—a power typically reserved for federal agencies. For now, CAIR’s Texas chapters continue to operate while fighting what promises to be a protracted legal struggle against the state’s highest officials.
