Florida Governor Moves to Designate Over 90 Groups as Terrorist Organizations, Prompting Lawsuit Threat from CAIR

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Wednesday the state's intention to designate more than 90 groups as terrorist organizations under a new state law. The list includes the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the Muslim Brotherhood, Antifa and foreign entities such as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps along with several cartels.

HB 1471, signed earlier this year, took effect the same day and gives the Chief of Domestic Security authority to propose designations. The governor and Cabinet must approve them by majority vote before they are published in the Florida Administrative Register. The law directs state agencies to deny public support and taxpayer funding to designated groups.

It also creates criminal penalties for knowingly providing material support or resources to such organizations and bars foreign or religious legal codes from overriding the U.S. or Florida Constitutions in state courts. DeSantis said the action follows an executive order he signed last December.

"Today, we are officially designating terrorist organizations under Florida law," he stated. " Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Mark Glass said identifying threats strengthens community safety through collaboration with federal partners and residents. CAIR condemned the designations and said it would challenge them in court.

The group stated that its work protects constitutional guarantees of free speech, religious freedom and equality under the law. " She said CAIR and CAIR-Florida’s speech and advocacy are protected by the First Amendment. CAIR and CAIR-Florida have previously sued over a December executive order targeting the same organizations.