{"id":348834,"date":"2025-12-16T17:03:06","date_gmt":"2025-12-16T22:03:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/?p=348834"},"modified":"2025-12-16T17:03:14","modified_gmt":"2025-12-16T22:03:14","slug":"tampa-based-cair-florida-sues-desantis-after-terrorist-designation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/news\/tampa-based-cair-florida-sues-desantis-after-terrorist-designation\/","title":{"rendered":"Tampa-based CAIR-Florida sues DeSantis after \u2018terrorist\u2019 designation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Hiba Rahim, interim executive director for CAIR-Florida, speaking in Tampa on Dec. 16, 2025. Credit:<\/span> Mitch Perry \/ Florida Phoenix<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation\u2019s largest Muslim civil-rights organization, has filed a federal lawsuit challenging Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis\u2019 executive order issued last week designating the group as a \u201cterrorist organization.\u201d CAIR is asking the court to block the executive order and declare it unconstitutional.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The CAIR-Foundation and CAIR-Florida filed the lawsuit in the Northern District of Florida in Tallahassee on Monday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DeSantis issued his executive order<\/a> on Dec. 8, designating CAIR a \u201cterrorist organization.\u201d The order directed Florida\u2019s executive and Cabinet agencies, as well as every county and city, to deny local or state contracts, employment, funding, benefits, or privileges to CAIR and anyone known to provide \u201cmaterial support\u201d to CAIR, including \u201cexpert advice or assistance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The order directs the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) to undertake \u201call lawful measures to prevent unlawful activities in Florida\u201d against terrorist organizations designated in Section 1 of the executive order, which includes the Muslim Brotherhood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis executive order does not present facts, it does not cite investigations, it does not point to any criminal findings. It simply declares guilt by proclamation,\u201d said Hiba Rahim, interim executive director for CAIR-Florida, during a press conference at the organization\u2019s Tampa headquarters Tuesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt does not matter whether you agree or disagree with our policies or our advocacy. What should concern every American is the implication of allowing a government official to apply criminal designations without due process. This is not how things work in America. In this country, allegations come with evidence and evidence is tested in court. And it is judges, not politicians, who decide what is lawful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CAIR has never been declared a foreign terrorist organization by any federal agency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In alleging that DeSantis has violated the Constitution, the lawsuit contends that he has:<\/p>\n\n\n\n