Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and the state Cabinet have designated the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), the Muslim Brotherhood and Antifa as domestic terrorist organisations under a new state law.
The September 29 decision also added more than 90 organisations already designated as foreign terrorist organisations by the US federal government to Florida’s state list.
The move comes after Florida enacted House Bill 1471, which took effect on July 1 and created a state framework allowing the Chief of Domestic Security to designate organisations as domestic or foreign terrorist organisations, subject to approval by the governor and Cabinet.
The designation of CAIR has already triggered a legal challenge from the organisation and civil liberties groups.
Restrictions Under Florida Law
Under the new framework, designated organisations can face restrictions on government funding and contracts. The law also creates criminal offences in specified circumstances involving knowingly providing material support or resources to a domestic terrorist organisation, receiving military training from such an organisation, or knowingly becoming a member and serving under its direction or control with the required intent.
The law also contains provisions affecting certain educational benefits. Students who promote designated domestic or foreign terrorist organisations can be barred from receiving specified public institutional funds.
Florida officials have argued that the framework is intended to prevent terrorist organisations from accessing public resources and operating through state institutions.
DeSantis Cites Holy Land Foundation Case
Florida officials cited CAIR’s inclusion as an “unindicted co-conspirator” in the 2007 federal prosecution of the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development as part of the basis for the designation.
The case involved the prosecution of leaders of the Holy Land Foundation over terrorism financing. CAIR was among more than 200 organisations and individuals listed as unindicted co-conspirators.
CAIR itself was not charged or convicted in the case. Florida Phoenix reported that the state documents also cited alleged historical connections between some CAIR founders and Hamas figures.
Florida’s Department of Law Enforcement also cited allegations concerning links between current CAIR members and individuals associated with Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
These allegations form part of Florida’s stated basis for the designation and remain disputed by CAIR.
CAIR Challenges Designation
CAIR has rejected the designation and challenged Florida’s actions in federal court, arguing that the state’s terrorism framework violates constitutional protections.
The latest action follows an earlier attempt by DeSantis to designate CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood through an executive order issued in December 2025.
CAIR challenged that order in federal court, and a judge subsequently blocked its enforcement, citing First Amendment concerns.
Florida then pursued a legislative route by passing HB 1471.
The law authorises the Chief of Domestic Security to designate an organisation as a domestic terrorist organisation if it is based in or operates in Florida or the United States, is engaged in terrorist activity as defined under Florida law and poses an ongoing threat to Florida or the United States. The governor and Cabinet can then approve or reject the designation by majority vote.
Former US Counterterrorism Official Questions Evidence
The materials presented to the Florida Cabinet included a rebuttal from Jason Blazakis, a professor at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies and former US State Department counterterrorism official.
Blazakis argued that the evidence relied upon by Florida was insufficient to support a terrorism designation and questioned whether the state had followed adequate procedures before taking the action.
He also pointed out that the US federal government has never designated CAIR or any of its chapters under the Foreign Terrorist Organisation or Specially Designated Global Terrorist systems.
This distinction is significant because Florida’s decision is a state-level designation, rather than a federal US terrorism designation.
DeSantis Defends Move
DeSantis has defended the designation, saying Florida needed to use the powers created under the new law to prevent organisations he considers terrorist groups from accessing public resources.
When the new law was introduced, DeSantis said Florida was creating statutory tools to address what his administration described as terrorist and extremist organisations operating in the state. The governor specifically named CAIR, the Muslim Brotherhood and Antifa alongside more than 90 foreign terrorist organisations.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has also defended the measure, arguing that taxpayer money should not support organisations designated under the law.
Wider Legal and Political Dispute
The designation has become part of a broader legal dispute over how far individual US states can go in creating their own terrorism-designation systems.
Florida officials argue that HB 1471 gives the state authority to identify organisations that pose a security threat and restrict their access to public resources.
CAIR and civil liberties organisations argue that the framework can be used against political and civil rights organisations without the procedural protections normally associated with federal terrorism designations.
