Texas Governor Greg Abbott has officially designated the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and its national organization as foreign terrorist organizations, citing the group’s documented ties to the Muslim Brotherhood and support for Hamas. The designation, announced Wednesday, places CAIR on Texas’ official list of entities that engage in or support terrorism, subjecting the group and its affiliates to enhanced law enforcement scrutiny and potential civil liability under state law. Abbott stated that any organization “that supports or funds terrorism has no place in Texas.”
The governor’s action follows mounting evidence that CAIR, founded by members of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Palestine Committee, has continued to operate as a Hamas support network in the United States. Court documents from the 2008 Holy Land Foundation terrorism-financing trial listed CAIR as an unindicted co-conspirator, and FBI testimony confirmed its role in funneling money to Hamas. Despite rebranding efforts, internal Muslim Brotherhood records explicitly describe CAIR as part of its U.S. network designed to advance Hamas’ agenda under the guise of civil rights advocacy.
Abbott’s executive order builds on Texas’ existing anti-BDS law and the state’s strong record of combating antisemitism and terror support since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel. The designation empowers the Texas Attorney General and local prosecutors to pursue civil actions against CAIR for providing material support to terrorism, including fundraising and public advocacy for designated terrorist groups. The governor emphasized that Texas will not tolerate organizations that “coddle terrorists” or use civil-rights rhetoric to shield extremist activities.