CAIR suspends Florida operations as state terror designation takes effect after federal ruling

Right · 2The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has suspended its operations in Florida as the state's designation of the group as a domestic terrorist organization takes effect. 1 2 Right · 2The move followed a ruling by Chief U.S. District Judge Allen Winsor of the Northern District of Florida, a Trump appointee, who declined to block the designation while CAIR's lawsuit proceeds. 2 1 Right · 2CAIR-Florida said on its website that it suspended operations because of what it called Gov. Ron DeSantis's and other state officials' "baseless and unconstitutional enforcement" of the state's "unprecedented new 'domestic terrorist organization' laws". The Washington Examiner reports the notice was also posted on its office doors. 2 1

Right · 1In a Nov. 4 order, Winsor granted CAIR a narrow injunction protecting the organization, its employees and third parties who provide it with legal services from prosecution under the state's material-support law. The injunction takes effect once a $1,000 bond is posted. 2 Right · 2Winsor wrote that the question was not whether CAIR is a terrorist organization, but that CAIR had not shown sufficient legal grounds to block the designation while its suit proceeds. The Washington Examiner adds that he called Florida's designation system unusual, since such designations have historically been federal and generally involved foreign groups, but said the Constitution does not prohibit legislation "simply because it is novel." It also reports he accepted CAIR's claim that the designation would effectively force it to close in Florida. 2 1 Right · 1CAIR and its Florida chapter argued that the law violates their First Amendment rights to speech and association and their right to due process. The ACLU, which represents CAIR, said it would appeal; its senior counsel Ashley Gorski said the decision upholds officials' power to punish American organizations they brand as terrorist without due process. 1

Right · 2Florida officials welcomed the outcome. DeSantis said, "Florida is holding CAIR accountable"; Attorney General James Uthmeier said a federal court had upheld the state's Domestic Terrorist Organization law; and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement called the ruling "a significant step forward for Florida in the fight against terrorism." 2 1 Right · 1JNS reports that DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet voted on Sept. 29 to designate CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood, along with more than 90 other organizations as foreign terrorist organizations. State officials accused CAIR of ties to Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The designations were published in the Florida Administrative Register on Oct. 6 and took effect 30 days later. Under state law they restrict public funding and contracts and expose anyone who knowingly provides material support to criminal penalties. 2 Right · 1The Washington Examiner notes that the U.S. government has not designated CAIR a domestic terrorist organization and that CAIR has not carried out terrorist attacks, though it has faced scrutiny over alleged ties to Hamas and other Islamist groups. It also says DeSantis signed an executive order in December 2025 designating CAIR, which a federal judge temporarily blocked in March on First Amendment grounds and which is under appeal. The ruling does not resolve every claim, and CAIR's challenge continues. 1