Gaza Herald – The Council on American Islamic Relations has suspended its operations in Florida after Chief Judge Allen C Winsor declined to reverse the state’s designation of the group as a domestic terrorist organization. The ruling came on Wednesday from the US District Court for the Northern District of Florida, where Winsor acknowledged the novelty of the legislation but found insufficient evidence of criminal punishment suffered by the group.
Winsor noted that while Florida possesses a novel and perhaps unprecedented law allowing for such designations without due process, Cair failed to adequately prove it was enduring criminal penalties. However, the judge clarified that state officials cannot prevent the group from accessing legal services. Officials also pledged not to prosecute the board, staff, or third-party associates.
Cair announced it will appeal the decision. A visit to CairFlorida.org displayed a message stating operations were suspended due to baseless and unconstitutional enforcement of new laws. The group is being represented in a federal lawsuit by the ACLU, SPLC, and their partners, challenging the designation on First Amendment and due process grounds.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement called the ruling the right call for Floridian safety, asserting continued vigilance against threats. Edward Ahmed Mitchell, national deputy director of Cair, mourned the closure, noting that Muslims can no longer access the community’s leading civil rights organization for help regarding hate crimes or discrimination.
Mitchell described Governor Ron DeSantis’s power to punish an American civil rights organization for its speech as an affront to the Constitution. This development follows a lawsuit filed in July against DeSantis, who designated Cair alongside deadly drug cartels. The suit was filed with the ACLU and Southern Poverty Law Center.
Cair stated the designation caused immediate harm, including the shuttering of advocacy. Florida also listed the Muslim Brotherhood and antifa as terrorist organizations. The designation stems from HB 1471, passed in March and signed by DeSantis in April, effective July 1. An earlier executive order by DeSantis was blocked by a federal judge.
The law indicates that supporting designated groups leads to criminal liability, ensuring religious codes do not supersede state law. Cair argued the model lacks requirements for notice or evidence provision, failing to require the state to prove any legal violation by the organization.
This report was produced in the Gaza Herald newsroom.
