The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), one of the country’s most prominent Muslim civil rights organisations, filed a federal lawsuit on Thursday against Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton, seeking to block the enforcement of a gubernatorial proclamation that designated the group as a “foreign terrorist organisation” and barred it from purchasing land in the state.
The lawsuit was filed jointly by CAIR’s Dallas–Fort Worth and Austin chapters, marking a significant escalation in the standoff between the state government and the Muslim civil rights community.
CAIR contends that the governor acted without notice, evidence, or any opportunity for the organisation to be heard, branding a longstanding American nonprofit as a terrorist entity in violation of both federal and state law.
The petition argues that the authority to designate foreign terrorist organisations lies exclusively with the United States Secretary of State, and that the governor’s unilateral move constitutes a violation of the US Constitution as well as a clear overreach of state powers.
The lawsuit further states that Abbott’s proclamation infringes upon CAIR’s rights under the Fourteenth Amendment by damaging the organisation’s reputation and property interests, and violates the First Amendment by targeting its political speech, particularly its longstanding criticism of Israeli government policies.
Reacting to the lawsuit, Governor Abbott posted a statement on X, declaring that the legal challenge would “expose all of their financial activities and dealings” and claiming that the attorney general “will have a great day” once the organisation’s records are scrutinised.
A day after issuing the proclamation, the governor also dispatched a separate letter directing criminal inquiries into what he described as “Sharia courts” operating in Collin and Dallas counties.
These, he alleged, were Muslim mediation groups presenting themselves as courts and issuing decisions to impose Islamic law — a claim CAIR and other community organisations strongly reject. Governor Abbott instructed district attorneys, county sheriffs, Attorney General Paxton, and Texas Department of Public Safety Director Freeman Martin to investigate such activities.
Meanwhile, the Islamic Tribunal — one of the groups referenced in public debate — issued a clarification on its website explaining that it is neither a law firm nor a judicial authority, and that its members are not attorneys.
It stated that it provides voluntary mediation and arbitration services based on Islamic principles, with all proceedings conducted under federal, state and local law, and that no decision is legally binding unless formally recognised by a state court. It noted that Muslim, Christian and Jewish communities across the United States make frequent use of voluntary mediation systems, which exist alongside and not in place of official courts.
The governor’s recent directives followed his announcement describing CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist organisations, an allegation CAIR-Texas called an “Islamophobic conspiracy theory”, insisting that Americans retain the constitutional right to seek voluntary religious mediation while only state courts hold legal authority to enforce judgments.
Attorney Charlie Swift of the Muslim Legal Fund of America criticised the governor’s actions as an attack on constitutional principles and said the proclamation must fail in court. CAIR’s General Counsel Lena Masri remarked that the organisation has successfully defeated Governor Abbott three times previously in First Amendment litigation, and expressed confidence in prevailing again.
CAIR-Texas stated that the governor is targeting American Muslims under the influence of “Israel First politics”, adding that the community will continue to defend its constitutional rights without intimidation.
The lawsuit describes Abbott’s claims as false, defamatory, and unsupported by Texas law, emphasising that CAIR is an independent American nonprofit unaffiliated with any foreign group. The organisation is seeking an injunction to halt the implementation of the governor’s order as well as damages for the harm caused by the designation.
The confrontation has now developed into a significant constitutional and political dispute in Texas, one that observers say may have broader implications for Muslim civil rights across the United States.