CAIR Florida Halts Operations After State Terrorist Designation Takes Effect
The group cites a new state law and a recent court ruling that kept its designation in place despite ongoing legal challenges.
By Nathaniel Hayes ·
The Council on American-Islamic Relations ceased its operations in Florida on Nov. 5, 2026, after the state’s new domestic terrorism law officially designated the group as a threat. A bright orange notice posted to the front door of its Tampa headquarters announced the suspension, citing "baseless and unconstitutional enforcement" by Gov. Ron DeSantis and other state officials.
The designation stems from House Bill 1471, which DeSantis signed into law in April. The legislation allows the governor and cabinet members to classify certain groups as domestic terrorist organizations, a move that effectively defunds and dissolves them. Under an accompanying executive order, DeSantis designated CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist organizations operating within the state.
Legal challenges to the law have been ongoing since its passage. In March, a federal judge blocked DeSantis’ original executive order, describing it as a political statement that violated constitutional rights. However, on Nov. 4, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida denied CAIR’s request to reverse the designation under the new statute. The group plans to appeal that ruling.
CAIR is representing itself in the latest lawsuit with the help of the ACLU, the Southern Poverty Law Center, and Bondurant Mixson & Elmore LLP. The legal team argues that the state is using its authority to punish groups engaged in First Amendment protected advocacy. According to a legal summary, the aim is to prove that officials are unilaterally deciding which nonprofits are criminals and security threats.
The group, described in its initial complaint as the largest Muslim civil rights organization in the country, stated that the state has never indicted or convicted the nonprofit under any criminal law. A statement on the organization’s website claimed that if the state attempted to prove its case in court, it would fail because neither CAIR nor its Florida chapter is engaged in terrorist activity.
Despite the pending appeal, the designation took effect on Nov. 5. CAIR and CAIR Florida are forced to shut down their advocacy and operations in the state indefinitely while the legal battle continues.
