November 21, 2025 – Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has filed a federal lawsuit against Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton, challenging Abbott’s recent proclamation that labeled the organization a “foreign terrorist organization” and a “transnational criminal organization.”
In its complaint, CAIR argues the designation violates its constitutional rights, including protections under the First and Fourteenth Amendments. The group claims Abbott acted without due process, using inflammatory rhetoric to falsely paint CAIR as a radical Islamist network with ties to terrorism. CAIR says the governor mischaracterized its mission and unfairly cherry-picked statements from individuals loosely associated with the organization.
Abbott’s proclamation also barred CAIR from acquiring property in Texas, triggering CAIR’s claim that the move infringes on its constitutionally protected property rights. The state law cited by Abbott gives the attorney general broad authority to shut down or penalize groups deemed a security threat, but CAIR calls the interpretation “baseless and defamatory.”
CAIR’s litigation director, Lena Masri, warned that Abbott’s unilateral move poses a threat to all civil rights organizations: if a governor can designate groups “terrorist” simply for holding dissenting views, she said, no activist group is safe. The group is seeking a court order to block enforcement of the proclamation, arguing that Texas lacks the legal basis to unilaterally make such a designation.
