Two Texas chapters for the Council on American-Islamic Relations sued Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton in federal court Thursday after the governor designated the group a foreign terrorist organization and banned it from owning land in Texas.
The suit, filed in the federal Western District by CAIR Texas chapters in Dallas-Fort Worth and Austin, comes two days after Abbott made the designation against both CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood. The governor pointed to a new law approved by the Texas Legislature earlier this year allowing him to declare a country or group in Texas a foreign terrorist organization solely for the purpose of preventing them from owning properties.
Among several things, the suit claims Abbott violated the group's First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and association. The suit also alleges Abbott designated the group a terrorist organization without due process, violating its Fourteenth Amendment rights. And, it claims Paxton violated the federal constitution after Abbott directed him to ban CAIR and its members from owning land.
"This attempt to punish the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization simply because Governor Abbott disagrees with its views is not only contrary to the United States Constitution, but finds no support in any Texas law," the suit reads.
Thursday's suit comes just hours after Abbott directed the Texas Department of Public Safety to investigate CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood for alleged criminal activities.
Abbott also claimed CAIR has "repeatedly employed, affiliated with, and supported individuals promoting terrorism-related activities."
CAIR, one of the largest Muslim civil rights groups in America, was established with a stated goal to challenge stereotypes about the Islamic faith. Most of its work focuses on civil rights and anti-defamation.
Abbott has repeatedly called CAIR a "front group" for Hamas and a direct subsidiary of the Muslim Brotherhood.
During a press conference Thursday, CAIR's Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell emphasized the group has never been affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood or Hamas.
"CAIR is an American organization," Mitchell said. "These conspiracy theories that Governor Abbott is relying on is ludicrous. And that's another reason why he's going to fail."
KERA News reached out to Abbott and Paxton's offices for comment and will update this story with any response.
On X this week, Abbott responded to news that CAIR was threatening to sue over his designation.
"The lawsuits will open the doors to all of their financial transactions and funding," Abbott wrote. "To all of their dealings and misdeeds."
Mustafaa Carroll, executive director of CAIR-DFW, told KERA News Thursday Abbott's claims about Islam are misleading, including his claims about Sharia law.
Sharia is a broad term that refers to teachings and traditions of the Islamic faith.
"This is his latest attempt to shred the First Amendment by punishing Texans critical of his lawless behavior," Carroll said. "And we look forward to seeing Mr. Abbott in court."
At Thursday's press conference, Mitchell added the organization does not try to impose "Sharia law" on anyone, nor do they have "Sharia courts" — referring to Abbott's letter to state and local officials in Collin and Dallas counties asking them to investigate Islamic mediation courts.
Abbott sent a letter Wednesday to the district attorneys and sheriffs of both counties asking to work with Attorney General Ken Paxton and Texas Department of Public Safety Director Freeman Martin in probing certain entities that may be "masquerading" as legal courts that are allegedly binding individuals to "Islamic laws."
Abbott points to Islamic Tribunal in Dallas, which he referred to as a "Sharia court" acting as a court of law while not having the jurisdiction to do so.
The Islamic Tribunal website says that it is not a law firm, its members are not lawyers and they do not provide legal advice, but the group describes itself as an organization that resolves disputes according to Islamic law.
Religious mediation groups, or private arbitration services, exist across Islam, Christianity and Judaism.
Charles Swift, the group's lead attorney, said in a press conference Thursday CAIR is being retaliated against by Abbott in part because the group has been critical in the past of Israel's government amid the conflict in Gaza.
"This is a period of time in our government where when you speak against the government, [it] is trying to take action against you," Swift said. "They're ignoring the law. I do think that it's not a coincidence that CAIR was targeted."
Abbott's designation of CAIR drew criticism from Muslim activists and lawmakers across the country, including U.S. Rep. Ilan Omar, D-Minn.
Greg Abbot called CAIR, the largest Muslim civil rights organization, a “terrorist organization” and said Muslims are a “threat to our freedom.”
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) November 19, 2025
The normalization of anti-Muslim hate speech is vile.
This bigot should have no place in elected office.https://t.co/mP4gbdr3LL
It also received backlash from the Texas Democratic Pary, calling Abbott's order "dangerous, racist and Islamophobic."
Texas House Rep. Gene Wu, D-Houston, said in a statement Abbott's designation could cause racial profiling and hostility toward the Muslim community.
"Allowing the Governor to be the sole arbiter of which American is or is not welcome in our state is incredibly dangerous," Wu said. "This is the emergence of thought crimes, and it should be deeply concerning to every Texan who values Liberty."
Penelope Rivera is KERA's Breaking News Reporter. Got a tip? Email Penelope Rivera at privera@kera.org.
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