![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1770074947_996_CAIR-Muslim-day.jpeg\")
Hiba Rahim, the executive deputy director for CAIR-Florida, speaking in the Capitol in Tallahassee on Feb. 2, 2026. Credit: Mitch Perry \/ Florida Phoenix<\/p>\nHiba Rahim, the executive deputy director for CAIR-Florida, speaking in the Capitol in Tallahassee on Feb. 2, 2026. Credit: Mitch Perry \/ Florida Phoenix<\/p>\n
Officials from the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Florida came to Tallahassee\u00a0 Monday to speak with lawmakers about pending legislation during the annual \u201cMuslim Day\u201d at the Capitol, but found conditions far different than in the past.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s because in December, Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an\u00a0executive order<\/a>\u00a0designating CAIR a \u201cterrorist organization.\u201d The group immediately denied the accusation and filed a federal lawsuit, asking the court to block the executive order and declare it unconstitutional. The case is set for oral arguments on CAIR Florida\u2019s motion for injunctive relief on Feb. 27.<\/p>\n Turning up the heat Monday was Florida Attorney James Uthmeier, who\u00a0posted<\/a>\u00a0a message on social media shortly before the press conference saying he had asked law enforcement to be \u201con heightened alert for any possible security threats.\u201d<\/p>\n At least seven members of the Florida Capitol Police stood sentry in the rotunda of the Capitol as the press conference took place\u2014as noted by one lawmaker who spoke.<\/p>\n \u201cThe fact that we have massive amount of security today is unreal to me,\u201d said Jacksonville Democratic Rep. Angie Nixon. \u201cThese are your brothers. Your neighbors. Your sisters. Your friends. They deserve compassion. They deserve to be treated with respect and dignity.\u201d<\/p>\n CAIR Florida\u2019s concerns on specific legislation<\/p>\n CAIR Florida is speaking out against several bills filed this legislative session, none bigger for them than\u00a0HB 1471<\/a>, sponsored by Rep. Hillary Cassel, R-Dania Beach, in the House and by Sen. Erin Grall, R-Vero Beach, (SB 1632<\/a>\u00a0) in the Senate.<\/p>\n The legislation would provide a process by which the state\u2019s chief of domestic security may designate an organization as a foreign terrorist organization or domestic terrorist organization if that officer finds that it engages in activities dangerous to human life, intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population, influence the policy of a government by intimidation, or affect the conduct of government by mass destruction.<\/p>\n That designation would then require the approval by the state Cabinet to become effective.<\/p>\n CAIR Florida also opposes two attendant bills (HB 1473<\/a>\/SB 1634<\/a>) to create a public-records exemption for any information used by the chief domestic security officer \u201ccritical to state or national security.\u201d Mark Glass, head of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, fulfills that role.<\/p>\n Hiba Rahim, deputy executive director with CAIR Florida, said the federal government is already tasked with identifying and investigating foreign and domestic terrorism.<\/p>\n \u201cTo take that power from the federal government that has a strict set of criteria that it must follow and to put it not in the hands of our legislators, but to put it in the hand of five individuals, is an extreme overreach and a very dangerous place for the United States to be in,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, said the proposal \u201cweaponizes state agencies to basically pick their political enemies and to leverage every act of the state to go after that entity, even if there is no evidence of material support for terrorism.\u201d<\/p>\n The legislation would allow a designated terrorist organization, or any member of such organization, to challenge that designation in the Leon County Circuit Court.<\/p>\n But Eskamani said that would be too late.<\/p>\n \u201cMy concern is once you have a label, it sticks,\u201d she said, referencing Uthmeier\u2019s posting on X earlier in the day. \u201cWe\u2019re seeing right now that take place on social media, where accusations are being thrown with no evidence by a single appointed individual. That is creating a lot of fear and sense of intimidation between all parties. There\u2019s nothing scary about Muslim Day at the Capitol.\u201d<\/p>\n Self-censorship?<\/p>\n Another part of HB 1471\/SB 1632 says that students who \u201chave been determined to have promoted a designated foreign terrorist organization or a domestic terrorist organization \u2026 may be immediately expelled from the institution.\u201d<\/p>\n Rahim says that provision will discourage free speech on college campuses and instead encourage a system where people will be \u201cforced into self-censorship because they\u2019re afraid of getting their student loans cut, their scholarships cut, they won\u2019t be able to speak their minds freely.\u201d<\/p>\n She added that all students should be concerned,\u00a0whether they\u2019re with an environmental organization, Planned Parenthood, or the NRA.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe have an administration today that can target things on their agenda specific groups, but tomorrow it will be a different administration, tomorrow a\u00a0 different group of individuals,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cThis bill does not regulate speech,\u201d Rep. Cassel insisted in defending her proposal before the House Civil Justice & Claims Subcommittee last week. \u201cThis bill regulates conduct. To be designated a domestic terrorism organization, it is not in your speech, it is in your conduct.\u201d<\/p>\n Cassel acknowledged the United States lacks a list of domestic terrorist organizations. But she said that since Florida is the 15th largest economy in the world, \u201csurrounded by water, ports, military bases \u2026 it necessary to protect our state accordingly.\u201d<\/p>\n HB 1471 will be up in front of the House Education and Employment Committee on Tuesday. Its Senate companion, SB 1632, will go before Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday afternoon.<\/p>\n Observing Monday\u2019s events at the Capitol, former Florida Republican House Speaker Paul Renner, now running for governor, released a statement declaring that he stood with Gov. DeSantis in \u201cnaming Muslim groups, like CAIR, \u2018foreign terrorists.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAs Governor, I will never allow them to take hold here in our state, and I will take any legal means to get them out,\u201d he said. \u201cThis is not a matter of partisan disagreement\u2014it is a matter of protecting our Republic, rejecting political extremism, and standing firmly for our Judeo-Christian heritage.\u201d<\/p>\n CAIR National\u00a0responded<\/a>\u00a0to Uthmeier\u2019s post on social media on Monday.<\/p>\n \u201cThe thought of Florida Muslims exercising their constitutional right to visit the State Capitol and meet with their elected officials might terrify keyboard warriors like\u00a0@AGJamesUthmeier.\u00a0But Mr. Uthmeier\u2019s cowardice and his contempt for the Constitution are his problems, not ours.\u201d<\/p>\n Florida is not the only state to designate CAIR a \u201cdomestic terrorist organization; Texas Gov. Greg Abbott did so in November. CAIR National subsequently\u00a0filed<\/a>\u00a0a federal lawsuit to block enforcement of Abbott\u2019s move as unconstitutional.<\/p>\n Florida Phoenix<\/a> is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Michael Moline for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n Pitch in to help make the Tampa Bay Journalism Project a success.<\/a><\/p>\n Subscribe to Creative Loafing newsletters.<\/a><\/p>\n Follow us:\u00a0Google News<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0NewsBreak<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Reddit<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Instagram<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Facebook\u00a0<\/a>|\u00a0BlueSky<\/a><\/p>\n Related Stories<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\tTampa-based CAIR Florida is speaking out against several bills filed this legislative session, including one designating it a terrorist organization.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\tPuerto Rico est\u00e1 bien cabr\u00f3n.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\tTheir timbers were shivered. \t\t\t\t<\/p>\n This article appears in Jan. 22 \u2013 28, 2026<\/a>.<\/p>\n \n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n \t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t![\"On](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1770074948_442_CAIR-Muslim-day.jpeg\")
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1770074948_918_www.thelatingrillfl.com-8-x-12-in-Presentation-1.jpg\")
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t![\"Gasparilla](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1770074948_963_Gasparilla-001-scaled.jpg\")
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n