Florida Designates Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR as Terror Organizations
Executive orders allow authorities to crack down on unlawful activities. The move follows similar decision in Texas and signals that Trump Admin may issue order on federal level.
Florida has formally designated the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as terror organizations, Governor Ron DeSantis announced early Tuesday. The executive order, which he signed overnight, takes effect immediately. In a statement on X, DeSantis said state authorities are instructed “to take all lawful measures to prevent activity by these organizations.”
The decision comes roughly three weeks after Texas became the first state to label the Muslim Brotherhood a terror and international criminal organization. Texas also applied the same designation to CAIR and barred both groups from purchasing land within the state. CAIR has since filed a lawsuit against Texas and is expected to take similar legal action in Florida.
Florida’s order cites alleged ties between the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas as part of its justification. The state did not detail specific enforcement mechanisms beyond directing agencies to restrict activity associated with the two groups. CAIR, one of the largest Muslim civil rights organizations in the United States, has consistently denied allegations of wrongdoing and is expected to challenge the designation.
The state level moves follow recent steps by the federal government. Two weeks ago, President Donald Trump signed an executive order initiating a review process to designate certain Muslim Brotherhood branches abroad as terror organizations. While the order does not itself impose immediate penalties, it instructs Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to evaluate potential designations and provide recommendations within 45 days. If completed, the process could lead to significant financial restrictions on specific branches of the movement and potentially affect Muslim organizations operating within the United States.
The Muslim Brotherhood, a nearly century old political and religious movement with chapters across the Middle East, has long been scrutinized by US lawmakers advocating for a terror designation. Previous administrations have declined to act, citing the movement’s varied structure and the risk of destabilizing relations with allied governments.
Florida now becomes the second state to enact sweeping restrictions on organizations it views as linked to the Brotherhood. The legal ramifications of the designation, as well as the expected court challenges, are likely to shape how far individual states can go while the federal review process is still underway.