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(RNS) — The Florida chapter of a leading Muslim civil rights group shut down a day before a state “domestic terrorist organization” designation took effect, the organization announced.
A federal judge on Wednesday denied a request by the Council on American-Islamic Relations and its Florida chapter to block the designation. The groups’ attorneys had asked the court in October to intervene before the designation went into effect on Nov. 5.
In a statement, Hiba Rahim, who was executive director of CAIR-Florida until it shut down Wednesday (Nov. 4), said the group “categorically rejects Florida officials’ baseless designation.”
“Nevertheless, we are heartbroken that we have no choice but to close our doors to protect our staff and people of all faiths who support our work,” she said.
A message on CAIR-FL’s website says it “suspended our operations in Florida because of Governor [Ron] DeSantis and other state officials’ baseless and unconstitutional enforcement of the state’s unprecedented new ‘domestic terrorist organization’ laws against us.” A similar notice was posted outside the group’s Tampa office Wednesday, according to local media.
The group also paused recurring donations on its platforms and urged supporters to cancel or pause automatic payments before Nov. 5, a spokesperson said.
When asked for comment, the Florida Attorney General’s office pointed to its X post, in which Attorney General James Uthmeie called the ruling a “great win.” The governor’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
On Sept. 29, Gov. Ron Desantis and the Cabinet voted to designate more than 90 groups as terrorist organizations, including CAIR. The designation took effect Nov. 5, about a month after the group was given its designation notice by the state.
The civil rights organization plans to appeal the ruling, said Ashley Gorski, senior counsel with the American Civil Liberties Union, one of the groups representing CAIR and CAIR-Florida. Gorski described the state law as an attempt “to silence” CAIR’s civil rights work and “damaging not only them but also their community.”
DeSantis has said the designation aims to combat the group’s alleged extremist ties and influence. In an October motion, a lawyer for the state argued that CAIR operates as a front for Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, groups that the federal government have designated in whole or in part as terrorist organizations.
Florida has not previously indicted or convicted CAIR or CAIR-Florida under any criminal law.
The designation triggers an array of criminal and civil penalties against the nonprofits and people who associate and support them and “effectively criminalizes the existence of designated organizations in Florida,” lawyers for CAIR and CAIR-Florida argued in a lawsuit.
This is Florida’s second attempt to label CAIR a terrorist organization. In March, a federal judge blocked an executive order by Gov. DeSantis designating the group a terrorist organization, finding it likely violated the First Amendment. The Legislature then passed two bills, which created a designation process.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott also made a similar designation in November 2025 against CAIR’s Texas chapter, which is challenging the label in court.