Texas Governor Abbott bans Muslim Brotherhood, CAIR from owning land in Texas

AUSTIN - Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday officially designated the Muslim Brotherhood and its successor organization, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) under state law.

What does this mean?

The proclamation, filed with the Secretary of State on Nov. 18, 2025, subjects both organizations and their affiliates to state penalties, including the prohibition from purchasing or acquiring land within Texas.

The designation uses authority under the Texas Penal Code and Texas Property Code.

As Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs), the groups and anyone who promotes or aids their criminal activities are subject to heightened penalties authorized by the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code.

As Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs), the organizations and their affiliates are prohibited from purchasing or acquiring land in Texas under Chapter 5 of the Texas Property Code. The Proclamation states that violating this law would require divestiture of the real property and could lead to criminal and civil penalties.

Governor's Rationale

What they're saying:

The proclamation cites several reasons for the designations, alleging the groups pose a threat to the security and residents of Texas.

"The Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR have long made their goals clear: to forcibly impose Sharia law and establish Islam’s ‘mastership of the world,’" said Governor Abbott. "The actions taken by the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR to support terrorism across the globe and subvert our laws through violence, intimidation, and harassment are unacceptable. Today, I designated the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR as foreign terrorist organizations and transnational criminal organizations. These radical extremists are not welcome in our state and are now prohibited from acquiring any real property interest in Texas."

Why did Abbott issue this proclamation for the Muslim Brotherhood?

Big picture view:

Abbott's proclamation characterizes the Muslim Brotherhood as a transnational Islamist organization whose founder, Hassan al-Banna, professed that "Jihad is an obligation from Allah on every Muslim" involving "the fighting of the unbelievers."

The proclamation asserts that a previous MB leader stated the organization’s primary goal is to establish Islam's "mastership of the world" and forcibly impose Sharia law worldwide.

The MB is accused of supporting groups that conduct terrorism internationally.

Hamas, designated by the U.S. government as an FTO, is identified as the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Why did Abbott issue this proclamation for CAIR?

Dig deeper:

The proclamation refers to CAIR as an Islamist organization and cites the FBI as stating it was founded as a "front group" for "Hamas and its support network" in the United States.

CAIR was named an "unindicted co-conspirator" in a federal terrorism financing prosecution, where a federal court found "ample evidence to establish" that CAIR was associated "with Hamas."

The document lists several former CAIR staff, board members, or affiliates who were later convicted of terrorism or terrorism-related financing crimes.

• Ghassan Elashi, a founding board member of the Texas branch for CAIR and Treasurer of the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development, who was sentenced to a total of 65 years in prison for financing terrorism in 2009;
• Abdurahman Alamoudi, a speaker at a CAIR-sponsored anti-Israel rally in Washington, D.C., in October 2000, who proudly proclaimed himself to be a "supporter[] of Hamas" and "a supporter of Hizballah" and who was later convicted as a terrorist for funding Al-Qaeda;
• Randall Todd Royer, a communications specialist and civil rights coordinator for CAIR, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison on April 9, 2004, for conspiring to aid Al-Qaeda and the Taliban;
• Bassem Khafagi, a community relations director for CAIR, who pleaded guilty to federal bank and visa fraud in 2003 after funneling money to terrorist causes and publishing material advocating suicide attacks against the United States;
• Rabih Haddad, a CAIR fundraiser, who was arrested and deported for his work as Executive Director of the Global Relief Foundation, which was closed by the United States Department of Treasury in October 2002 for financing Al-Qaeda;
• Muthanna al-Hanooti, a Director for CAIR in Michigan, who was convicted and sentenced to prison in 2011 for violating United States sanctions against Iraq by accepting "two million barrels of Iraqi oil" in exchange for helping Saddam Hussein's government;
• Sami Al-Arian, a convicted terrorist and Palestinian Islamic Jihad financier, whom CAIR publicly honored with its "Promoting Justice Award" in 2014 and whom it featured in a 2020 lecture in which he stressed his desire "to promote" CAIR and "support [it] financially" as "the first defense" in America; and
• Nihad Awad, CAIR's current Executive Director, who on November 24, 2023, publicly praised and supported Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack against Israel, saying he "was happy to see" the assault which involved the kidnapping and murder of American citizens.

The FBI suspended formal contacts with CAIR in 2008 and the Biden Administration "removed CAIR's name" from certain online documents in 2023 "to make clear it was distancing itself from the organization."

Statement by CAIR

According to the Washington, D.C., Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights organization:

"CAIR is an independent American civil rights organization that has spent 30 years protecting free speech, advancing religious freedom, and promoting justice for people here and abroad. We have consistently condemned all forms of unjust violence, including hate crimes, ethnic cleansing, genocide and terrorism. In fact, we condemn terrorism so often that ISIS once put a target on our national executive director.

"Although we are flattered by Greg Abbott's obsession with our civil rights organization, his publicity stunt masquerading as a proclamation has no basis in fact or law. By defaming a prominent American Muslim institution with debunked conspiracy theories and made-up quotes, Mr. Abbott has once again shown that his top priority is advancing anti-Muslim bigotry, not serving the people of Texas.

"The truth is that Mr. Abbott is an Israel First politician who has spent months stoking anti-Muslim hysteria to smear American Muslims critical of the Israeli government.

Unlike Mr. Abbott, who unleashed violence against Texas students protesting the Gaza genocide to satisfy his AIPAC donors, our civil rights organization answers to the American people, relies on support from the American people, and stands up for American values.

"We have successfully sued Greg Abbott three different times for shredding the First Amendment for the benefit of the Israeli government, and we are ready to do so again if he attempts to turn this publicity stunt into actual policy."

Click Here: Read CAIR’s Letter to Governor Abbott

Statement by CAIR-Texas

The Texas chapter and national headquarters of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today announced that it would carry on its civil rights work in Texas and vigorously defend its right to do so in response to Texas Governor Greg Abbott's "defamatory and lawless" proclamation smearing the organization.

In its response to Abbott's proclamation, CAIR's legal team is preparing to take appropriate action to address it. CAIR has also sent a letter to Abbott debunking his claims and detailing the Muslim civil rights organization’s three-decade record of both defending civil rights and condemning all forms of unjust violence, including terrorism. The letter also cites numerous rulings and independent reports debunking efforts to smear CAIR or link it to any foreign entities.

In a statement, CAIR-Texas said:

 "CAIR-Texas and the Texas Muslim community are proud of record of standing up for free speech, religious freedom and justice for all. We are not and will not be intimidated by smear campaigns launched by Israel First politicians by Greg Abbott. Mr. Abbott is defaming us and other American Muslims because we are effective advocates for justice here and abroad. We plan to continue exercising our constitutional rights, defending civil rights, and speaking truth to power, whether in defense of free speech, religious freedom and racial equality here in Texas or in defense of human rights abroad."

CAIR noted that this is not the first time Greg Abbott has tried and failed to use state law to smear Muslim nonprofit organizations in the statement.

In the statement from CAIR-Texas, officials stated, "Abbott has also shared dehumanizing content from anti-Muslim bigot Amy Mek’s social media account, deleted it, then shared content from another anti-Muslim bigot alleging Islam is a "militant ideology." Mekelburg is best known for her Islamophobic content but has previously encouraged her readers to follow a white supremacist and antisemite."

Context of State Legislation

The proclamation references several laws Abbott signed strengthening the state's powers against foreign entities:

• House Bill 45 (2017): Prohibits the enforcement of foreign laws, including Sharia law, in Texas.
• Senate Bill 1900 (2023): Strengthened tools to combat FTOs operating in Texas.
• Senate Bill 17 (2025): Prohibits foreign adversaries and TCOs from purchasing or acquiring land in the state.