Florida Delays Terrorist Designations Under New Law Pending Regulations

Florida officials are delaying enforcement of a new state law allowing designation of terrorist organizations while developing implementing regulations, Washington Examiner reported. A court filing states that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement intends to issue regulations governing the terrorist designation process and that no designation will be made before the regulations are finalized.

Attorneys representing Gov.

Ron DeSantis said they could not provide a timeline for when the regulations would be completed. The parties are scheduled to update the court again by July 22. Several nonprofit organizations challenged the law on behalf of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

On July 2 the groups sought an emergency injunction to prevent the state from making any designations while the lawsuit proceeds. A federal judge denied the request, stating additional briefing and evidence were needed. In the filing state attorneys wrote that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement intends to promulgate regulations under the law.

Earlier this month Gov. Ron DeSantis said Florida would designate CAIR, the Muslim Brotherhood, and antifa under the new law while also recognizing more than 90 foreign terrorist organizations already designated by the federal government, including the Sinaloa cartel, Tren de Aragua, and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The law prohibits taxpayer-funded institutions from supporting designated terrorist organizations, creates new state crimes for providing material support, and authorizes administrative dissolution of certain corporations.