Florida designated this Islamic advocacy org a 'terror' group. Now, CAIR is suing

Romy Ellenbogen, Miami Herald on Jul 2, 2026

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The Muslim civil rights organization Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR, is suing Florida after the state designated the group as a terrorist organization.

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday announced that his administration was putting CAIR and several other organizations on the list.

He did so under the authority of a law his office drafted and that he signed in April that gives the state a power typically reserved for the federal government: the ability to designate groups as domestic or foreign terrorist organizations.

Groups labeled as terrorist organizations won’t be able to access public funding. Any college student who supports the organizations will be immediately expelled.

Free speech advocates have decried the bill, saying it’s a way to silence the speech of people who have advocated for Palestine. In its lawsuit, CAIR is accusing the state of violating the First Amendment, which protects free speech, and the 14th Amendment’s promise of due process.

“We see through Gov. DeSantis’ latest biased attempt to punish us for our views and our values,” a national spokesperson for CAIR said in a statement. “We look forward to fighting these baseless attacks in court and proving once again that the Constitution is stronger than any politician’s bigotry.”

In December, DeSantis used an executive order to designate CAIR as a terrorist organization. The group sued. In March, a federal judge blocked DeSantis’ order.

On Wednesday, DeSantis said he wasn’t concerned about CAIR suing. He said he was confident the legislation would be upheld.

DeSantis on Wednesday also named the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, groups tied to drug cartels and antifa — an umbrella term that describes far-left-leaning militant groups that resist fascists and neo-Nazis — as terrorist organizations.