Texas governor labels CAIR terror group as report says Islamic group paid anti-Israel campus protesters

Texas Governor Greg Abbott formally declared the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as foreign terrorist groups and transnational criminal organizations on Tuesday. 

“The Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR have long made their goals clear: to forcibly impose Sharia law and establish Islam’s ‘mastership of the world,’" Abbott stated in a press release, announcing the move.

"The actions taken by the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR to support terrorism across the globe and subvert our laws through violence, intimidation, and harassment are unacceptable.”

The move follows revelations of substantial land purchases by Brotherhood-affiliated groups and individuals in Texas, amid rumors of an effort to establish an autonomous zone governed by Sharia law.

🚨BREAKING: I've uncovered illegal activities by EPIC City developers and requested a referral from the State Securities Board to file a lawsuit.

After a thorough investigation, it has become clear that the developers behind EPIC City flagrantly and undeniably violated the law. pic.twitter.com/l0jOaEtY1U

— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) October 14, 2025

The project to build the community was initially called "EPIC City," before being renamed to "The Meadows." Abbott's declaration will prevent either group from making property purchases in Texas. 

Following Governor Abbott’s announcement, CAIR said it would pursue legal action, alleging the designation amounted to defamation.

BREAKING - Muslim organizations in Texas, including CAIR, have been designated as foreign terror organizations by Gov. Greg Abbott, blocking their ability to purchase land after it was revealed that nearly 50 mosques have been set up in 24 months using taxpayer funds to do so. pic.twitter.com/uloslLTRyl

— Right Angle News Network (@Rightanglenews) November 18, 2025

Ghassan Elashi, a founding member of CAIR Texas, was convicted of illegally shipping computer technology to Syria and Libya in violation of sanctions against the countries. In 2009, Elashi was sentenced to 65 years in prison for helping funnel $12 million to the Hamas terrorist organization. 

Abbott responded to CAIR's threat on social media, writing that he is not afraid of the lawsuit, as it will force CAIR Texas to expose its financial records for legal review. 

On Tuesday, a report from the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) and the Intelligent Advocacy Network (IAN) showed that CAIR California, the largest chapter, paid each anti-Israel campus protester $1,000. 

That’s great.

The lawsuits will open the doors to all of their financial transactions and funding.

To all of their dealings and misdeeds.

The Attorney General will have a heyday. https://t.co/v5DG1qKE7F

— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) November 19, 2025

According to the report, CAIR California has received more than $26.9 million in taxpayer funding since 2022, despite allegedly failing to deliver many of the services it was contracted to provide.

The state of California paid CAIR California $7.2 million to provide legal services to roughly 1,800 Afghan refugees who fled Taliban rule. The report found that the organization ultimately served only 177 refugees.

The report also found that some of CAIR’s funds were used to provide services to individuals from countries such as Iran and China, despite prohibitions on using the money for that purpose. In addition, CAIR California illegally diverted $3.6 million out of $5 million – designated for paying independent service providers as part of the Afghan refugee program – into its CAIR Los Angeles office. 

The report also found that CAIR California submitted federal tax forms that omitted required disclosures, allegedly obscuring how the taxpayer funds were used.

CAIR California allegedly created a student resistance program disguised as an “Education Fund,” which it labeled the “Champions of Justice Fund,” and was used to pay student activists who participated in anti-Israel protests on college campuses. 

According to CAIR’s website, the funds were awarded as interest-free loans to students who lost “scholarships, housing or other support because of their advocacy.” 

The CAIR flyer where they proudly admit to rewarding law-breaking and antisemitism at @Columbia. pic.twitter.com/nPcGXzFzpe

— Columbia Jewish & Israeli Students ✡️🇮🇱 (@CUJewsIsraelis) November 18, 2025

In response, NCRI Founder Joel Finkelstein said, “These programs support students after acts of criminality and violence, creating a reward structure for building the most militant face of the movement.” 

CAIR, which claims to be the largest Muslim charity in the United States, previously settled lawsuits with disgruntled former employees rather than expose its financial records for legal review.