CAIR sues DeSantis over Florida ‘terror’ designation tied to Palestine advocacy

A prominent Muslim American civil rights group has filed a federal lawsuit against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, accusing him of violating its constitutional rights by branding it a “foreign terrorist organisation” over its advocacy for Palestinian rights.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and its Florida chapter filed the suit on Tuesday, seeking to overturn a state executive order that placed the organisation on a terrorism blacklist.

“The Executive Order [EO] identifies no criminal charges or convictions, relies on no federal designation, and inaccurately invokes statutory authority,” the lawsuit states.
“It rests on political rhetoric and imposes sweeping legal consequences on a domestic civil rights organisation because of its viewpoints and advocacy.”

DeSantis issued the order last week, designating CAIR as a “terror” organisation alongside the Muslim Brotherhood, a move that civil liberties advocates say has no basis in US law and bypasses basic due process protections.

The lawsuit comes amid a broader rise in Islamophobia and escalating right-wing pressure campaigns targeting Muslim organisations in the United States. CAIR argues that the designation is part of a deliberate effort to suppress speech critical of Israel and supportive of Palestinian human rights.

The filing points directly to CAIR’s recent legal work challenging DeSantis’s crackdown on pro-Palestinian activism, including its role in opposing Florida’s ban on Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP).

“CAIR’s advocacy on Palestine-related issues, including its representation of SJP chapters and opposition to state censorship of pro-Palestinian speech, forms an important part of the factual context in which Defendant DeSantis issued the EO,” the lawsuit says.

Critics say the order sets a dangerous precedent by allowing a state governor to label a domestic advocacy group as “terrorist” without evidence, criminal findings or federal backing, effectively chilling political speech through executive fiat.

DeSantis has been openly dismissive of the legal challenge. Last week, he said he would “welcome” a lawsuit from CAIR, arguing it would allow Florida to gain “discovery rights to be able to subpoena” the organisation’s bank records.