Florida Designates CAIR As ‘Terrorist’ Organization
CAA, Kashmir, Hamas Links
On September 29, 2026, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet formally approved the designation of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as a domestic terrorist organization. This final administrative step was enacted through House Bill 1471 (HB 1471), a state law that grants state officials the power to designate domestic or foreign groups as terrorist entities.
The designation aims to restrict public funding, eliminate state contracts, and trigger heightened law enforcement oversight for CAIR and its affiliates. Notably, neither CAIR nor the Muslim Brotherhood are designated as terrorist groups at the U.S. federal level, making Florida's and Texas's state-level actions highly controversial and legally complex.
Governor DeSantis’s administration claims CAIR was founded by individuals with direct ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, which Florida also labeled a terrorist group.
The state’s legal justification heavily relies on a 2007 federal trial involving the Holy Land Foundation, where CAIR was listed among hundreds of "unindicted co-conspirators" in a terrorism-financing case. The FBI previously used this connection to distance its official partnership from CAIR.
Florida officials argue that these historic ties link CAIR directly to Hamas. CAIR fiercely denies any connection to Hamas or militant activity, emphasizing that it has never been criminally charged and that the labels are entirely defamatory.
The designation has put a fresh international focus on CAIR’s geopolitical advocacy, particularly regarding India.
• CAA Opposition: CAIR has actively lobbied against Indian government policies in the West, most notably organizing campaigns against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which it argues discriminates against Muslims.
• Kashmir Stance: CAIR has frequently published criticisms and led advocacy efforts challenging India's administration and security policies in Jammu and Kashmir. Media networks analyzing the ban note that domestic crackdowns on CAIR are being closely watched by international observers interested in countering what they view as radical Islamist lobbying against democratic states.
Credit : CNNNews18.