Florida designates CAIR, Muslim Brotherhood, and antifa as terrorist organizations under new state law

State officials announced Wednesday that Florida will designate the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the Muslim Brotherhood, and antifa as terrorist organizations under a new state law. The designations also include more than 90 federally listed foreign terrorist organizations, such as the Sinaloa cartel, Tren de Aragua, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The law, signed earlier this year, creates a permanent process for identifying terrorist organizations. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement can recommend designations, which require approval by a majority of the governor and Cabinet.

New restrictions and penalties The legislation bars taxpayer-funded institutions from supporting designated groups and creates new state crimes for providing material support. It also authorizes the administrative dissolution of certain corporations tied to designated organizations and makes it a crime under some circumstances to receive military training from or serve under a designated domestic terrorist organization.

Prior executive action and legal challenge The designations build on a December executive order directing state agencies to eliminate the influence of what officials described as radical terrorist ideologies. That order instructed agencies to deny taxpayer funding and contracts to the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR where authorized by law.

Earlier this year, CAIR filed a lawsuit arguing the December order exceeded constitutional authority. In March, a federal judge issued a temporary injunction blocking the order, stating the governor cannot unilaterally designate one of the largest Muslim civil rights groups as a terrorist organization in a non-emergency situation.