The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) formally responded to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Tuesday, delivering a scathing letter that dissects his recent executive order as legally void and factually incorrect. The organization, the largest Muslim civil rights group in the U.S., confirmed it is preparing an immediate lawsuit to block the Governor’s attempt to designate it a terrorist organization.
In the correspondence sent to the Governor’s office, CAIR argues that DeSantis lacks the constitutional authority to “unilaterally declare any Americans or American institutions foreign terrorist groups.”
The group described the Monday executive order as a “defamatory and unconstitutional Israel First political stunt” designed to silence dissent rather than protect public safety.
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‘Debunking’ the Claims
The letter seeks to dismantle the justification DeSantis used for the designation. While DeSantis linked the group to the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas, CAIR’s response highlighted its 31-year record of condemning terrorism.
“CAIR has shown moral consistency by speaking out against Hamas violence against Israeli civilians, from such attacks on Oct. 7th, 2023, to suicide bombings in the 1990s,” the letter states.
To further distance itself from extremism, the group noted that it spoke out against ISIS atrocities so frequently that the terror group publicly called for the assassination of CAIR’s national executive director. The letter also touted the group’s legal standing in the U.S., citing a unanimous 9-0 Supreme Court victory in 2024 that affirmed the rights of American citizens.
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Accusations of Foreign Priority
Turning the table on the Governor, CAIR’s letter accuses DeSantis of neglecting Florida residents to serve the interests of the Israeli government. The group pointed to DeSantis’s decision to host a cabinet meeting in Israel and his move to divert millions of dollars in Florida taxpayer funds to purchase Israeli government bonds.
“The real reason anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian politicians obsessively target CAIR… is because of our steadfast advocacy for Palestinian rights,” the letter reads. It goes on to accuse DeSantis of ignoring the plight of a Florida teenager who was allegedly kidnapped and tortured by the Israeli military.
Expanding Legal Battle
The looming Florida lawsuit opens a second front in a battle over state-level foreign policy powers. Last month, legal groups including the Muslim Legal Fund of America filed a federal lawsuit against Texas Governor Greg Abbott following a nearly identical proclamation in that state.
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Both DeSantis and Abbott have ordered law enforcement to stop the “creep of Sharia law” and cut resources to CAIR. However, CAIR maintains that these orders are baseless smears that will not survive judicial scrutiny.
“By now defaming CAIR-Florida with an unconstitutional proclamation and debunked conspiracy theories,” the letter concludes, “you have once again shown that your top priority is protecting a foreign government, not serving the people of Florida.”
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