WASHINGTON — The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has suspended its operations in Florida following the enforcement of a state law that grants officials the authority to designate organizations as “terrorist entities.” State authorities and CAIR confirmed the suspension.
This year, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed legislation granting the governor and other state officials the power to label organizations as “terrorist entities” while authorizing the expulsion of students who support such groups. Critics argue the measure infringes upon free speech rights.
A federal court denied CAIR’s appeal to reverse the state’s designation of the organization as a “terrorist entity.” The civil rights group stated it intends to challenge the ruling.
The judge noted that although Florida’s measure is “novel—and perhaps unprecedented,” CAIR had failed to prove that the designation constitutes a form of criminal punishment.
CAIR documents instances of hate directed at Muslim Americans and attributes the recent surge in Islamophobia partly to the federal crackdown on immigration and pro-Palestinian activism.
In a statement on its website, CAIR-Florida declared, “We have suspended our operations in Florida because of Governor DeSantis and other state officials’ baseless and unconstitutional enforcement of the state’s unprecedented new ‘domestic terrorist organization’ laws.”
DeSantis and Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier welcomed the ruling and the subsequent suspension, with DeSantis writing “Good win” on X.
U.S. rights advocates have voiced growing alarm over rhetoric and policies targeting Muslims, particularly from Republicans during the midterm campaigns. Consequently, the Republican Party suffered significant losses in both chambers of Congress.
Enacted in April, the law empowers the chief of domestic security, the governor, and the cabinet to designate any organization engaged in extremist activities as a “terrorist organization.”
Under the law, designated organizations can face dissolution and a freeze on state funding. Additionally, institutions are required to expel students who promote a domestic or foreign “terrorist organization.”
The PEN America and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) condemned the legislation. PEN America warned the law could “chill free speech by placing unprecedented pressure on individuals to avoid speaking, organizing, or engaging with certain viewpoints.”
Governor DeSantis framed the law as a necessary framework for combating extremism and ensuring accountability within the education system.
The Trump administration and several Republican-governed states have launched crackdowns against left-leaning organizations and pro-Palestinian groups, labeling them as extremist, antisemitic, and anti-American.
Critics argue these actions violate free speech and due process. They assert that Republican officials conflate pro-Palestinian advocacy with support for extremism, and equate criticism of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and its occupation of Palestinian territories with antisemitism.
Furthermore, late last year, DeSantis issued an executive order designating CAIR a “foreign terrorist organization,” which a federal judge later blocked.
