Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has moved to recommend that the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the Muslim Brotherhood, and antifa be officially designated as terrorist organizations under a new Florida law. This law, known as HB 1471, took effect on July 1 and grants the governor the power to designate terrorist groups.
Designation Process
The designations must be approved by the three Republican members of the Florida Cabinet: Attorney General James Uthmeier, Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia, and Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson. DeSantis expects an emergency meeting to be arranged quickly with the Cabinet to finalize the decision.
The law serves as statutory backing for a December executive order issued by DeSantis that targeted CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood. In March, U.S. District Judge Mark Walker issued a preliminary injunction against that executive order, ruling that it violated CAIR’s rights by threatening individuals who provided the nonprofit with material support.
CAIR and civil rights advocates have confirmed they will challenge the new law in court. According to a press release from the governor’s office, the law is designed to identify and combat terrorist organizations operating in Florida.
Groups Targeted
The governor’s list also includes more than 90 groups already classified as foreign terrorist organizations by the U.S. federal government. Among them are the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, the Mexico-based Sinaloa and Gulf drug cartels, and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
DeSantis emphasized that the recommendations were based on organizational behavior rather than ideology. The law establishes multiple avenues for enforcement and penalties, including prohibiting Florida courts from enforcing provisions of foreign or religious laws, specifically citing Islamic Sharia law.
The legislation passed through Florida’s Republican-controlled Legislature with an 80-25 vote in the House and a 25-11 vote in the Senate. During legislative debates, Democratic lawmakers raised concerns regarding due process, pointing to a companion bill that exempts the documents and records showing how a terrorist designation is reached from public disclosure.
Original reporting: Tampa Free Press — read the source article.
