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In a major escalation of the political and legal battle over civil rights in Florida, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and its state chapter, CAIR-Florida, announced they are filing a federal lawsuit against Governor Ron DeSantis. This swift legal challenge comes one day after the governor issued a controversial executive order unilaterally designating the Muslim civil rights organization as a "foreign terrorist organization" and simultaneously targeting the transnational Muslim Brotherhood, Daily Dazzling Dawn realized.
The executive order, posted on Monday, directs Florida state agencies to deny contracts, funding, and employment to the designated groups and any entity providing them with "material support." The directive follows a similar, largely symbolic move by Texas Governor Greg Abbott last month. Critics, including constitutional lawyers and CAIR leadership, immediately pointed out that state governors lack the constitutional authority to issue such designations, which are solely the prerogative of the federal government, specifically the U.S. State Department. Neither CAIR—a domestic non-profit organization founded in 1994—nor the Muslim Brotherhood is currently designated as a terrorist organization by the federal government.
CAIR-Florida Accuses DeSantis of an 'Israel First' Stunt-CAIR-Florida leaders held a press conference on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, where they denounced the governor’s action as an "unconstitutional and defamatory 'Israel First political stunt.'"
Hiba Rahim, the interim executive director of CAIR-Florida, a graduate of the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree in telecommunications, has been a long-time advocate within the organization, serving previously as a regional manager, and deputy executive director, leading voter mobilization and expanding CAIR-Florida's presence in North Florida. As a prominent Muslim American public figure, she has been unflinching in her criticism of the governor.
Rahim directly challenged DeSantis’s priorities, stating that the governor has continually prioritized an "Israel First" foreign policy agenda over the needs and civil rights of Floridians. She cited the fact that DeSantis hosted his first official cabinet meeting in Israel and has diverted at least $25 million in Florida taxpayer dollars into Israeli government bonds.
"To our governor, your designation has no basis in law or fact," Rahim asserted to reporters. "You do not have the constitutional authority to unilaterally declare any American or an American institution a foreign terrorist group." She emphasized CAIR’s patriotism, highlighting that the organization is "America First" and committed to defending the rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, despite DeSantis’s efforts to smear the group.
The governor, however, has doubled down on his decision, referencing a previous terrorism financing case where CAIR was listed as an unindicted co-conspirator. DeSantis defiantly welcomed the impending lawsuit, arguing it would grant the state "discovery rights to be able to subpoena" the organization's bank records. CAIR, with dozens of chapters and thousands of supporters across the nation, has vehemently denied all links to terrorism and welcomed the chance to prove their legal standing in court.
Escalating Islamophobia and Legal Precedent-The aggressive move against a prominent Muslim civil rights group arrives amidst a documented surge in Islamophobia across the country. Activists link the coordinated attacks on Muslim organizations and communities to a calculated political campaign by right-wing and pro-Israel advocates, aiming to distract from the atrocities in Gaza and frame American Muslims as an internal threat.
The lawsuit will likely focus on the governor's overreach, arguing that the executive order infringes upon CAIR's First Amendment rights of free speech and association, as well as the Fourteenth Amendment’s due process and equal protection clauses. CAIR has a strong history of winning legal challenges, including a 9-0 Supreme Court ruling in 2024 that protected the rights of Americans, and a prior successful legal challenge against DeSantis's order threatening to shut down pro-Palestine student groups at state colleges. The state’s move also follows a failed attempt by the Israeli government to have its Ministry of Defence consider designating the U.S. nonprofit as a terrorist group, underscoring the political motivations cited by CAIR.
Further legislative efforts are expected, as DeSantis stated he anticipates state lawmakers will codify his executive order into law during the upcoming regular session, a move that would face immediate legal and constitutional challenges. The lawsuit promises to be a landmark case defining the limits of state power in the realm of national security and the protection of civil liberties for minority groups.
