The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and its Florida chapter filed a lawsuit on July 2, 2026, against Governor Ron DeSantis and state officials.
The legal action challenges a state declaration that designates the nation's largest Muslim civil rights organization as a terrorist group.
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The lawsuit, filed with the American Civil Liberties Union and the Southern Poverty Law Center, targets House Bill 1471.
The law took effect on July 1, 2026, and allows Florida to blacklist groups as terrorist entities.
Blacklisted organizations lose access to public funds and state contracts. Public college students face expulsion for supporting such groups.
Florida has added over 90 groups to the list, including Antifa, the Muslim Brotherhood, and drug cartels.
CAIR stated that the designation immediately jeopardizes its advocacy work in the state.
The group argued that officials can brand nonprofits with debilitating stigma and use state powers to silence them through severe penalties.
“It produces a system where people will be forced into self-censorship because they’re afraid of getting their student funds cut,” said Hiba Rahim, a CAIR-Florida representative.
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She added that students at public universities should feel safe to speak freely.
Governor DeSantis defended the law as a permanent tool to combat terrorism while protecting constitutional rights. He noted that the legislature responded with statutory measures for long-term security.
Before HB 1471, a federal judge blocked a similar executive order by DeSantis. Judge Mark Walker ruled that unilateral designations in non-emergency situations were unconstitutional.
He wrote that the governor cannot unilaterally label a major Muslim civil rights group as a terrorist organization.
The civil rights coalition seeks an emergency injunction to halt enforcement. The law requires final approval by the Florida cabinet.
Separately, a state board of education rule restricts undocumented immigrant admissions at Florida's 28 public colleges. Advocacy groups oppose the policy, citing financial losses.
Alexis Tsoukalas of the Florida Policy Institute estimated $50 million in lost tuition and fees from young immigrants.
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The board provided no fiscal estimates of its own.
