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Tampa, FL - A Florida-based Muslim civil rights organization has filed a lawsuit against Gov. Ron DeSantis after he issued an executive order designating the Council on American Islamic Relations Florida as a foreign terrorist organization.
The announcement was made at a press conference in Tampa, where CAIR Florida leaders said the legal action is intended to protect the rights of Muslims in the state following what they described as an unsupported and harmful designation.
The lawsuit challenges the governor's directive that bars CAIR Florida and individuals alleged to support the group from receiving state contracts, employment or funding. DeSantis posted the order on social media and included the Muslim Brotherhood in the same classification.
Neither CAIR nor the Muslim Brotherhood appears on the US State Department's list of foreign terrorist organizations, which is the federal standard used for such designations.
CAIR Florida Interim Executive Director Hiba Rahim said the governor's action unfairly targets the Muslim community and lacks a legal basis.
She also pointed to past decisions by DeSantis involving Israel, including holding an early cabinet meeting in the country and purchasing Israeli government bonds with state funds.
Rahim said these actions contributed to what she views as political motives behind the designation.
Speaking at a separate event in Miami, DeSantis said he welcomed the lawsuit and indicated the legislature is preparing laws to address how the state handles terrorism classifications.
CAIR has filed similar challenges in other states, including a recent lawsuit questioning a proclamation issued by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.