11/26/25 Reposted from nbcdfw.com
Gov. Abbott cited a 2008 conviction in his proclamation. CAIR lawyers say seventeen years later, it’s “guilt by association.”
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR, is heading to federal court to try to clear its name. This comes after Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott declared the group a “terrorist” organization late last week.
Over the past few years, lawmakers have passed laws allowing Abbott to declare groups terrorist organizations and ban them from buying property in the state.
The Council on American Islamic Relations argues that those very laws are unconstitutional and wants to challenge them in court.
This latest fight stems from a 2008 conviction that Abbott’s declaration cites. In 2008, five members of an organization called the Holy Land Foundation were found guilty of financing Hamas. One was also a founding member of CAIR’s Texas chapter. The organization was an “unindicted co-conspirator” with no charges brought against it. Another federal court later said the allegation against CAIR was improper in the wake of post-9/11 scrutiny of many Muslim organizations.
In U.S. v. Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development, Ghassan Elashi was found guilty of financing terrorism after high-profile raids in the DFW metro in the early 2000s.
On Tuesday, at a midday press conference, group leaders stated that, here in 2025, they are not connected to the people of that event at all, arguing that Abbott’s declaration is “guilt by association” for something that happened more than 17 years ago.
“By your logic, anyone who has ever spoken kindly of anyone later accused of wrongdoing is complicit in that wrongdoing. This is McCarthyism. This is guilt by association,” said Mariam Uddin from the Muslim Legal Fund of America, representing CAIR.
CAIR’s legal team at a press conference claimed that, as a state governor, Abbott does not have the authority under federal law to name a group a terrorist organization, and that they were denied due process, arguing this is retaliation for differing political views on the war in the Middle East.
CAIR filed a lawsuit in federal court, arguing that the declaration violates its freedom of speech and freedom of association. The executive director of the DFW CAIR affiliate stated that they see this fight as reminiscent of the state’s 1950s crackdown on the NAACP.
“We will continue to advocate for and defend the civil rights of Muslims in the great state of Texas,” said Mustafa Carroll, Council on American-Islamic Relations Texas Chapter.
At an event last week, Abbott stated he was confident his declaration would hold up in court.
“That’s about the lamest lawsuit I’ve ever seen. What they need to recognize is that we know CAIR has a long history of ties and connections to terrorism, to Hamas. One of the founders of CAIR in Texas is in prison for 65 years for financing terrorism,” said Abbott.
In 2025, the Texas legislature passed, and the governor signed, SB17, which bans foreign adversaries from purchasing land in the State of Texas. His proclamation then goes on to cite the Texas Penal Code, where a Foreign Terrorist Organization is defined as three or more people “who engage in criminal activity and threaten the security of this state or its resident.”
CAIR’s lawyers said that state law violates the U.S Constitution’s supremacy clause, arguing only the U.S. Government can declare a group a terrorist organization.
Much of this is in the context of the conflict in Gaza, where CAIR supports the Palestinians and believes they are victims of genocide. Abbott and many Republican leaders in Texas support Israel and their actions to defend itself after the Oct. 7 terrorist attack.
There are not only international disputes sparking some of this, but also local ones. There are several ongoing lawsuits over the Collin County development project, formerly known as EPIC – now The Meadow. Recently, a leader in the North Texas Muslim community was detained by the Trump administration for deportation.
Abbott’s proclamation cites a new law the legislature passed this year, allowing him to ban organizations he deems terrorist groups from buying property. Abbott also directed the Department of Public Safety to investigate the organization.
“We will target threats of violence, intimidation, and harassment of our citizens,” wrote Abbott when announcing the investigation, “We will also focus on individuals or groups who unlawfully impose Sharia law—which violates the Texas Constitution and state statutes.”
After the governor’s proclamation, the American Civil Liberties Union came to the defense of CAIR, a spokesperson writing in a statement: “This proclamation by the Texas governor’s office raises significant First Amendment and due process concerns. It represents the latest escalation by state officials in a pattern of politically motivated attacks on nonprofit organizations led by, and primarily serving, immigrants and communities of color.”
Tuesday, CAIR was joined by a coalition of Interfaith leaders, including the Muslim American Society, the Islamic Circle of North America’s Council for Social Justice, and the Palestinian Youth Movement.
More scrutiny has come to Muslim organizations in the state as their population and political power have grown in recent years.
