Texas Governor Designates Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR as 'Foreign Terrorist Organizations,' Bars Them From Buying Property

Abbott announces state-level designation

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday announced that he has designated the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as "foreign terrorist organizations" and as transnational criminal organizations. Abbott said the designations prohibit both groups from acquiring any real property interest in Texas and authorized the state attorney general to pursue legal action to shut them down.

Proclamation cites alleged ties and statements

Abbott's proclamation lists multiple incidents it says show current and former CAIR members supporting terrorist organizations or extremist acts. The proclamation specifically cites statements it attributes to CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad following the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel — which the proclamation says resulted in roughly 1,200 deaths and the taking of hundreds of hostages to Gaza — quoting Awad as having expressed satisfaction with the attacks. The document also references a later comment in which Awad reportedly questioned whether an alleged Iranian plot against former President Donald Trump might instead have been an "Israeli plot to ignite another war." These allegations are presented in the governor's proclamation.

Abbott: "These radical extremists are not welcome in our state and are now prohibited from acquiring any real property interest in Texas."

CAIR, donations and response

CAIR is one of the most prominent Muslim civil-rights and advocacy organizations in the United States. The proclamation cites, and media reports have noted, donations linked to pro-Muslim or progressive political action committees; for example, the Washington Free Beacon reported that CAIR-affiliated entities recently donated to a PAC associated with New York progressive politician Zohran Mamdani. The governor's office framed these and other items as part of a broader pattern of activity supporting extremist causes.

As of the announcement, CAIR had not immediately issued a formal statement responding to Abbott's designation. CAIR's most recent public post on X encouraged supporters to urge House members to back H.R. 876, a resolution sponsored by Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) that the post described as recognizing a "genocide in Gaza."

Legal and political implications

Abbott said in a separate post on X that his proclamation authorizes Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton "to sue to shut them down." Legal experts warn that state-level designations of foreign terrorist organizations could prompt court challenges and raise constitutional and procedural questions, since federal designation of foreign terrorist organizations is handled by the U.S. State Department. The long-term legal effect of a Texas proclamation of this kind remains uncertain and may be decided in court.

Note: This article reports the substance of Gov. Abbott's proclamation and its claims. The allegations in the proclamation are those of the governor's office; CAIR and individuals named in the proclamation may dispute or deny these characterizations.