The Council on American-Islamic Relations\u2019 (CAIR) Dallas-Fort Worth and Austin chapters filed a federal lawsuit Thursday seeking to overturn Abbott\u2019s proclamation issued earlier in the week.<\/p>\n
“This attempt to punish the nation\u2019s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization simply because Governor Abbott disagrees with its views is not only contrary to the United States Constitution<\/a>, but finds no support in any Texas law,” the group said in its lawsuit.<\/p>\n Founded in 1994, CAIR operates 25 chapters nationwide, including a small Texas staff of eight employees and two contractors, according to the filing.<\/p>\n TEXAS GOV ABBOTT DECLARES CAIR, MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD AS TERRORIST GROUPS, PREVENTING LAND PURCHASES<\/a><\/p>\n The Council on American-Islamic Relations’ (CAIR) Dallas-Fort Worth and Austin chapters asked a federal judge to strike down the declaration from the governor. (Brandon Bell\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n “CAIR-Texas and the Texas Muslim community are standing up for our constitutional rights by directly confronting Greg Abbott\u2019s lawless attack on our civil rights,” CAIR-Texas said in a statement. “We are not and will not be intimidated by smear campaigns launched by Israel First politicians like Mr. 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.”<\/p>\n Abbott\u2019s order extended the “terrorist” label to the Muslim Brotherhood, even though federal authorities have never classified either group that way.<\/p>\n The governor\u2019s decree also bars CAIR from purchasing land<\/a> in the Lone Star State under a new statute aimed at curbing purchases tied to “foreign adversaries.”<\/p>\n Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s proclamation states that CAIR is blocked from purchasing land in the Lone Star State. (Antranik Tavitian\/Reuters)<\/p>\n The group\u2019s filing contends Abbott relied on “inflammatory statements with no basis in fact,” selectively citing remarks by affiliates to paint CAIR as sympathetic to terrorism.<\/p>\n “The lawsuit we have filed today is our first step towards defeating Governor Abbott again so that our nation protects free speech and due process for all Americans,” CAIR Litigation Director and General Counsel Lena Masri said in a statement. “No civil rights organizations are safe if a governor can baselessly and unilaterally declare any of them terrorist groups, ban them from buying land, and threaten them with closure. We have beaten Greg Abbott\u2019s attacks on the First Amendment before, and God willing, we will do it again now.”<\/p>\n The Muslim Legal Fund of America also said it is “proud to defend the constitutional rights of CAIR-Texas and the right of all Texans to engage in free speech and uphold civil rights without facing lawless and defamatory attacks by Greg Abbott.”<\/p>\n “Mr. Abbott\u2019s unconstitutional proclamation undermines the very foundational notions of due process that our system depends upon and it must not stand,” said Muslim Legal Fund of America attorney Charlie Swift. “For the sake of our nation\u2019s basic freedoms, Greg Abbott\u2019s latest attack on the American people must be defeated.”<\/p>\n![\"Gov.](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/abbott-texas.png\")
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