The Florida Cabinet on Tuesday approved Gov. Ron DeSantis’ effort to designate the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the Muslim Brotherhood and more than 90 other organizations as terrorist organizations under state law.
According to JNS, the list also includes Antifa and organizations already designated as foreign terrorist organizations by the federal government, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and drug cartels.
The state’s designation documents allege that “there is substantial evidence that CAIR is engaging in terrorist activity" and accuse the organization of ties to Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
The action follows legislation signed by DeSantis earlier this year that gave Florida new authority to designate organizations as terrorist groups. Under the law, designated organizations can be barred from receiving state funding and contracts, while public institutions are prohibited from using resources to support or promote them. The law also provides for possible dissolution of designated organizations and criminal penalties for knowingly providing material support or resources.
DeSantis had previously sought to designate CAIR through an executive order issued in December. A federal judge blocked that action in March, ruling that the governor could not unilaterally impose the designation and associated consequences through an executive order.
The latest designations have already prompted another legal challenge. The American Civil Liberties Union, which represents CAIR and CAIR-Florida, said it will seek to block the implementation of the new designations in federal court.
DeSantis’ announcement in December came after Texas Governor Greg Abbott also designated the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR as foreign terrorist organizations and transnational criminal organizations.
The designation authorizes heightened enforcement against both organizations and their affiliates and prohibits them from purchasing or acquiring land in Texas.
Previously, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order beginning the official process to designate certain Muslim Brotherhood chapters as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs).
In January, the United States designated the Egyptian, Jordanian and Lebanese branches of the Muslim Brotherhood as specially designated global terrorists, citing their support for the Hamas terrorist organization.