Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis didn’t merely shrug off a pending lawsuit from a Muslim civil-rights organization he just labeled a foreign terrorist group—he practically rolled out a welcome mat.
Fresh off his executive order declaring both the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) terrorist organizations, the governor made it clear he’s not losing a wink of sleep over CAIR’s promised legal barrage. In fact, he’s reveling in it.
From a Tuesday water-quality presser in North Miami Beach, DeSantis noted that Attorney General James Uthmeier “is ready, willing, and able to be fighting” the lawsuit. Translation: Bring it on.
Why the confidence? Simple. Discovery.
DeSantis said the lawsuit gives the state a golden opportunity to get a look at the group’s financial network and inner workings. He wasn’t subtle either—posting on X: “I look forward to discovery — especially the CAIR finances. Should be illuminating!”
“They have every right to sue and then we’re going to have a right to get the information we need to make sure,” he added, signaling that this fight is as much about transparency as national security.
The new executive order commands Florida agencies to halt all “material support or resources” to the two organizations. The order forcefully argues that:
“The Muslim Brotherhood’s Islamist ideology is irreconcilable with foundational American principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness reflected in the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution, especially including the right to religious freedom and the equal protection of the laws.”
While CAIR insists it’s a civil-rights nonprofit—its website says the group’s mission “is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims”—the state clearly sees something far more troubling.
Notably, CAIR is not on the federal foreign terrorist list. But the Muslim Brotherhood’s influence is not exactly disputed; Pew Research in 2010 called it “without question the world’s most influential modern Islamist organization.”
DeSantis isn’t flying solo. Just last month, President Donald Trump signed an order announcing that “certain chapters or other subdivisions of the Muslim Brotherhood shall be considered for designation as Foreign Terrorist organizations.”
And Texas Gov. Greg Abbott already designated the same groups as terrorist organizations. CAIR sued there too—clearly, this is becoming a national showdown.
DeSantis even hinted this is just Phase One. “I think our executive order is kind of the beginning,” he said, predicting lawmakers will soon move toward “statutory codification of how we handle different terror designations.” On social media, he encouraged legislators proposing measures “to stop the creep of sharia law” to “codify these protections for Floridians against CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood.”
CAIR Florida interim Director Hiba Rahim blasted the order with a fiery statement:
“An attack on our civil rights organization is a direct attack on our constitutional First Amendment rights and an attack on the civil rights of Florida’s Muslim community.
Governor DeSantis’ executive order singles out and defames our community based on an ‘Israel First’ a political agenda. CAIR-Florida will not stand idly by while we are defamed and our rights re denied. We are taking legal action to ensure that all citizens, regardless of their background or political views, are protected equally under the law. We are upholding our commitment: See you in court.”
But judging by the governor’s response, Florida seems perfectly happy to meet them there—and eager to flip open the financial books they’ve been fighting so hard to keep closed.
