Gov. Greg Abbott said Thursday he's directing the Texas Department of Public Safety to criminally investigate the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the Muslim Brotherhood — just two days after declaring the two groups were foreign terrorist organizations.
Abbott accused the two groups of supporting terrorism across the globe through violence, intimidation, and harassment in his letter to Texas DPS. He's also previously called CAIR a "front group" for Hamas and a direct subsidiary of the Muslim Brotherhood.
"The Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR have long made their goals clear: to forcibly impose Sharia law and establish Islam's 'mastership of the world,'" Abbott said.
The governor said there was "ample evidence to establish" a connection between CAIR and Hamas, citing a 2009 federal criminal case, but did not provide evidence the group has committed crimes in Texas. CAIR was not the subject of that case.
KERA News reached out to CAIR for comment and will update this story with any response.
The group's website states it was established to challenge stereotypes about Islam and Muslims. Most of its work focuses on civil rights and anti-defamation.
"Although we are flattered by Greg Abbott's obsession with our civil rights organization, his publicity stunt masquerading as a proclamation has no basis in fact or law,” a CAIR spokesperson wrote in a statement on Tuesday. “By defaming a prominent American Muslim institution with debunked conspiracy theories and made-up quotes, Mr. Abbott has once again shown that his top priority is advancing anti-Muslim bigotry, not serving the people of Texas.”
CAIR also said earlier this week that it’s ready to legally challenge Abbott.
“We have successfully sued Greg Abbott three different times for shredding the First Amendment for the benefit of the Israeli government, and we are ready to do so again if he attempts to turn this publicity stunt into actual policy,” CAIR’s spokesperson said.
Sharia broadly refers to teachings and traditions of the Islamic faith. The Muslim Brotherhood, an international Muslim movement founded in 1928 in Egypt, has advocated for the application of religious law in Muslim-majority countries.
While there's no evidence the movement has taken hold in the United States, it has nonetheless been the focus of criticism and controversy.
Abbott's designation on Tuesday prohibits both groups from purchasing or acquiring land in Texas and allows "increased enforcement" against both groups, citing a new law approved by the state legislature earlier this year.
That new law allows the governor to declare a country or group as a foreign terrorist organization solely for the purpose of preventing them from owning properties in Texas.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Copyright 2025 KERA News
