US Muslim group plans lawsuit against Florida governor over 'foreign terrorist' designation

WASHINGTON

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said Monday that it plans to file a lawsuit against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in response to his “defamatory and unconstitutional” order labeling the group a "foreign terrorist organization."

In a joint statement with CAIR-Florida, the group accused DeSantis of prioritizing foreign interests over Floridians and targeting the organization because of its civil rights work.

"From the moment Ron DeSantis took office as Florida governor, he has prioritized serving the Israeli government over serving the people of Florida.

"He hosted his very first official cabinet meeting in Israel. He diverted millions in Florida taxpayer dollars to the Israeli government’s bonds. He threatened to shut down every Florida college’s Students for Justice in Palestine chapter, only to back off when CAIR sued him in federal court," it said.

The statement came after DeSantis said that Florida is designating the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR as "foreign terrorist organizations."

CAIR further compared DeSantis to Texas Governor Greg Abbott, describing both as “Israel First politicians” and asserting that the designation is intended to silence Americans, particularly American Muslims, who are "critical of US support for Israel's war crimes."

"We look forward to defeating Governor DeSantis’ latest Israel First stunt in a court of law, where facts matter and conspiracy theories have no weight. In the meantime, we encourage all Floridians and all Americans to speak up against this latest attempt to shred the Constitution for the benefit of a foreign government", it said.

CAIR’s announcement comes after a similar legal challenge in Texas. Last month, the Muslim Legal Fund of America (MLFA), the CAIR Legal Defense Fund (CAIR LDF) and law firm Akeel & Valentine, PLC filed a federal lawsuit against Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton to block enforcement of Abbott’s Nov. 18 proclamation, which declared the Texas chapter of CAIR a “foreign terrorist organization” and threatened civil penalties.