A federal judge allowed Florida’s domestic terrorist designations of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and its Florida chapter to take effect Thursday, rejecting most of the groups’ emergency challenge while protecting their ability to obtain legal counsel.
Chief U.S. District Judge Allen C. Winsor ruled November 4 that CAIR had not shown sufficient grounds for most of the preliminary injunction it sought. The decision left the designations in place, but it did not determine whether CAIR actually qualifies as a terrorist organization.
Florida’s Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) announced in a November 5 post on X that the state had designated CAIR, the Muslim Brotherhood, and Antifa as domestic terrorist organizations.
“This is the right call for the safety of Floridians,” FDLE said. Its statement described the ruling as an affirmation of all three designations, although Winsor’s order addressed the lawsuit brought by CAIR and CAIR-Florida, not a merits challenge involving the other two groups.
A federal court has affirmed Florida’s designation of CAIR, the Muslim Brotherhood, and Antifa as domestic terrorist organizations.⁰⁰This is the right call for the safety of Floridians. FDLE remains vigilant against threats and committed to keeping Floridians safe. pic.twitter.com/SseLpXJliv
— Florida Department of Law Enforcement (@fdlepio) November 5, 2026
What The Judge Actually Decided
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and the state Cabinet approved CAIR’s designations September 29 under a statutory process Florida lawmakers established through House Bills 1471 and 1473. The legislation authorizes state officials to designate qualifying domestic organizations and imposes various restrictions, including penalties for certain forms of knowing material support. The law itself took effect July 1; the CAIR designations took effect November 5.
The court found that officials notified CAIR of the proposed designations September 18. The organizations submitted written objections, but they did not use the available 30-day state-court challenge after Florida published the designations October 6. Winsor viewed that avenue for judicial review as important to his preliminary due process analysis.
The judge also determined that Florida could not enforce its material-support restriction against CAIR, its employees, or third parties solely for providing the organizations legal services. He conditioned that narrow injunction on CAIR posting a $1,000 bond. The court rejected the remainder of CAIR’s preliminary injunction motion, leaving other constitutional claims unresolved.
The November order follows an earlier federal injunction against a DeSantis executive order targeting CAIR. Winsor described the newer state-designation framework as novel but said that novelty alone does not make legislation unconstitutional.
CAIR Closes Florida Operations And Plans Appeal
CAIR and CAIR-Florida announced Thursday that they would appeal the ruling and suspend their Florida operations. “CAIR-Florida categorically rejects Florida officials’ baseless designation of us,” CAIR-Florida Executive Director Hiba Rahim said in an ACLU news release.
Florida officials allege CAIR has links to Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood. The judge expressly left the factual dispute over CAIR’s alleged terrorist associations undecided at this stage.
Texas Lawsuit Names CAIR’s DFW Chapter
Florida’s unresolved litigation has a parallel in Texas, where state officials have pursued separate designations and a lawsuit involving CAIR’s North Texas chapter.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) designated CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist and transnational criminal organizations under Texas law on November 18, 2025, invoking state restrictions that include a prohibition on the organizations acquiring Texas real property. The Texas designations differ legally from Florida’s domestic-terrorism framework.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton subsequently sued CAIR, the Muslim Brotherhood, and CAIR’s Austin, Houston, and Dallas-Fort Worth chapters in February 2026, seeking to stop the groups from operating in the state. The attorney general’s announcement cites CAIR’s designation as an unindicted co-conspirator in the Holy Land Foundation terrorism-financing prosecution.
The North Texas implications extend beyond litigation.
An October 22 review by The Dallas Express identified 369 positive Texas candidate recommendations from CAIR Action, a separate political advocacy affiliate, ahead of the November 3 election. The group issued 59 full endorsements, four joint endorsements, and 306 preferred selections.
In an October 29 follow-up based on written responses, The Dallas Express found that CAIR Action declined to release internal candidate questionnaires and its Texas operating budget. CAIR Action said CAIR and CAIR Action have separate boards and programs, and said it did not directly contribute money, campaign volunteers, or candidate-directed advertisements to Texas candidates.
The Florida court has not resolved the underlying constitutional dispute. The parties must submit a joint litigation plan by November 18, while the separate Texas action places CAIR’s DFW presence within another state-level legal fight.
Provided by Dallas Express
