Federal Court Blocks DeSantis’ Terrorist Designation of CAIR, Muslim Brotherhood
A federal judge temporarily blocked Gov. DeSantis’ terrorist designation of CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood, sparking an appeals court battle over First Amendment rights.
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA — A federal judge has temporarily blocked Gov. Ron DeSantis’ designation of the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist organizations, citing First Amendment concerns in an ongoing legal battle that has reached the appeals court level.
DeSantis issued the executive order in December 2025, directing the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to “undertake all lawful measures to prevent unlawful activities” by the two groups. The order also requires all state agencies to prevent anyone known to have provided material support to these organizations from receiving “any contract, employment, funds or other benefit or privilege” from state agencies, regulated entities, or local governments.
Federal Judge Issues Temporary Injunction
CAIR Florida immediately challenged the designation in federal court following its implementation. U.S. District Judge Mark Walker granted the organization’s request for a temporary injunction, blocking enforcement of the executive order on First Amendment grounds.
The legal dispute has now escalated to the appellate level. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed a 55-page appeal with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit on April 20, defending the governor’s actions.
State Defends Executive Order
In the appeal filing, Uthmeier argued that the executive order does not target protected speech or activity but “simply designates terrorist organizations in an effort to keep state resources from those designated entities and their material supporters.”
The attorney general’s office has also filed a separate motion seeking to remove Walker from the case, alleging the judge made “several derogatory statements directed at Florida officials” that demonstrate bias against DeSantis and Uthmeier.
DeSantis’ action followed similar moves by other Republican officials. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott designated the same two groups as foreign terrorist and transnational criminal organizations weeks before Florida’s executive order.
Congressional Action Stalled
The controversy extends beyond state-level actions. Florida GOP U.S. Rep. Randy Fine filed federal legislation designating CAIR as a foreign terrorist organization, though the measure has attracted only seven co-sponsors and has not received a committee hearing since its introduction.
Fine previously sponsored similar legislation in the Florida House during the 2024 session. That bill passed the House but failed to gain a companion measure in the state Senate.
The case tests state authority to designate organizations as terrorist groups and the potential conflict with federal constitutional protections. Legal experts are closely watching the appeals court proceedings, which could set precedent for similar state-level designations across the country.
The temporary injunction remains in effect while the appeals process continues, preventing enforcement of the executive order’s restrictions on state contracts and employment for individuals associated with the designated organizations.
