Officials with the state's largest Muslim civil rights group, CAIR-Florida, said they plan to sue Gov. Ron DeSantis after he designated the group a "foreign terrorist organization."
DeSantis announced the designation for both the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Muslim Brotherhood on the social media site X Monday.
The Muslim Brotherhood is designated as a terrorist organization in Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and other Middle Eastern countries.
In November, the Trump administration designated some chapters of the the Muslim Brotherhood as a foreign terrorist organization.
Only the federal government has the authority to designate groups as foreign terrorist organizations.
CAIR, the largest Muslim civil rights group in Florida, does not have that federal designation. CAIR has around 25 chapters nationwide, according to its website.
At a press conference in Tampa Tuesday, CAIR Florida interim executive director Hiba Rahim addressed the governor directly, saying he was overstepping his authority in issuing the executive order.
"Your designation has no basis in law or fact," said Rahim. "You do not have the constitutional authority to unilaterally declare any American or (any) American institution a foreign terrorist group."
DeSantis' move mirrors a similar proclamation made by Texas governor Greg Abbott, who in November authorized "heightened enforcement against both organizations and their affiliates and prohibits them from purchasing or acquiring land in Texas."
DeSantis' order instructs Florida agencies to prevent the two groups and those who have provided them material support from receiving contracts, employment and funds from a state executive or cabinet agency.
Rahim said the order has no direct affect on their advocacy work, but it's "unfortunate" that the legal battle will waste "Florida taxpayers' money" and their organization's resources.
During a Tuesday event in North Miami Beach, DeSantis told reporters he "welcomes" the lawsuit as an opportunity to subpoena CAIR for information such as their bank records.
"They have every right to sue, and then we're going to have a right to get the information that we need to make sure," said DeSantis.
Rahim said CAIR Florida has no concern handing over financial records or other information.
Megan Amer, CAIR's policy director, said less than one percent of their funding comes from abroad and most of it is from Canada.
