3/4/26 Reposted from cair.com
The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), Akeel & Valentine, CAIR Legal Defense Fund (CAIR LDF), and the Muslim Legal Fund of America (MLFA) today won an injunction in a federal lawsuit challenging Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ “blatantly unconstitutional” executive order targeting the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), America’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, and its Florida chapter, CAIR-Florida.
In his ruling, United States District Judge Mark E. Walker wrote in part:
“The question before this Court is whether the Governor can, in a non-emergency situation, unilaterally designate one of the largest Muslim civil rights groups in America as a ‘terrorist organization’ and withhold government benefits from anyone providing material support or resources to the group.
This Court finds he cannot. The First Amendment bars the Governor from continuing the troubling trend of using an executive office to make a political statement at the expense of others’ constitutional rights.”
“Today’s ruling is a decisive victory for the Constitution and for the principle that no governor can place themselves above the law,” said Scott McCoy, deputy legal director, SPLC. “Governor DeSantis attempted to wield the power of his office to smear a civil rights organization, silence its advocacy and intimidate those who support it. The court rightly rejected that abuse of power. This executive order was never about public safety – it was about targeting a Muslim organization for its speech and its advocacy. The court’s ruling makes clear that the Constitution does not allow elected officials to punish organizations or individuals simply because they disagree with their views.”
In a joint statement, CAIR Litigation Director and General Counsel Lena Masri and CAIR-Florida Executive Director Hiba Rahim said:
“We welcome the court’s decision to block any enforcement of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ unconstitutional proclamation targeting our civil rights organization and our supporters.
“As we said when Governor DeSantis first issued his lawless proclamation, no governor has the right to violate the Constitution by unilaterally declaring an American organization whose speech he dislikes a ‘terrorist’ group and then punish them and their supporters, all without due process.
“The right to free speech is one of the Constitution’s most fundamental guarantees. CAIR and CAIR-Florida will, God willing, continue to stand as a shield for the American Muslim community and defend free speech, religious freedom and due process for everyone in our nation.”
In a statement, CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad said:
“On behalf of the entire CAIR network, we thank our co-counsel, our partners, and our community for standing with us as we confronted and defeated Ron DeSantis’ attack on our civil rights organization.
“Amid widespread attempts by politicians to undermine our democracy, including attacks on free speech, religious freedom, immigrant rights, and due process, this federal court ruling serves as a reminder that the Constitution still matters.
“We encourage all of our supporters inside and outside the American Muslim community to support the work of CAIR and CAIR-Florida today. Your support empowers us to stand as a shield, protecting our community and our neighbors from the arrows of discrimination and hate.”
BACKGROUNDER:
A federal lawsuit was filed in December of last year challenging Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ executive order.
On December 8, 2025, Governor Ronald DeSantis issued Executive Order 25-244 (“EO”), which purports to unilaterally designate America’s largest Muslim civil rights organization, the 501(c)3 nonprofit organization the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a “terrorist organization.” The order directs Florida’s executive and cabinet agencies, as well as counties and municipalities, to deny local or state contracts, employment, funding, benefits, and privileges to CAIR and anyone known to provide “material support” to CAIR, including “expert advice or assistance.” The order also directs Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Florida Highway Patrol to pursue unspecified “measures” against unspecified CAIR.
The lawsuit filed in the Northern District of Florida argues that DeSantis has violated the Constitution of the United States and otherwise exceeded his legal authority. Among other violations, the lawsuit specifically contends that DeSantis has:
- illegally usurped the exclusive authority of the federal government to designate American organizations as terrorist groups based on allegations of material support for foreign terrorist groups.
- violated the Constitution’s guarantee of due process by unilaterally designating CAIR a criminal actor and then ordering immediate punitive, discriminatory action against CAIR and its supporters without any chance to appeal that punishment or designation.
- violated the Constitution’s guarantee of free speech by punishing Americans who seek to provide CAIR with material support, including speech in the form “assistance” and “advice,” and retaliating against CAIR for speech he finds objectionable, including the organization’s past lawsuit against him and its activism in support of Palestinian human rights.
CAIR sent a formal letter to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis that denounced his unconstitutional executive order targeting CAIR and CAIR-Florida. In the letter, CAIR wrote that Governor DeSantis does “not have the constitutional authority to unilaterally declare any Americans or American institutions foreign terrorist groups” nor “is there any basis to level this smear against our organization.”
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
