Florida Court Denies Injunction, Prompting CAIR to Suspend State Operations
Judge Winsor ruled that the emergency request did not prove criminal punishment, leaving CAIR to appeal the designation imposed under new state law.
By Rafael Bailey ·
The Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) has suspended its operations in Florida. This move follows a federal court decision that denied an emergency request to reverse the state's terrorist designation of the organization.
Chief Judge Allen C. Winsor of the US District Court for the Northern District of Florida issued his decision on Wednesday. He acknowledged that Florida's new law allowing terrorist designations of non-profit groups without due process was novel and perhaps unprecedented. However, he determined that CAIR's emergency request did not adequately prove the group was suffering a criminal punishment.
The ruling permits Florida officials to maintain the designation while protecting the group from immediate legal exclusion. Winsor specified that officials cannot prevent CAIR from accessing legal services. State officials also pledged not to prosecute CAIR's board, staff, or third-party associates.
CAIR plans to appeal the decision. A message posted on the website CairFlorida.org on Friday stated that the group suspended operations due to what it called the baseless and unconstitutional enforcement of state laws. The message identified the American Civil Liberties Union and the Southern Poverty Law Center as legal partners challenging the designation on First Amendment and due process grounds.
Edward Ahmed Mitchell, CAIR's national deputy director, described the closure as a loss for the state's Muslim community. He stated that for the first time in over twenty years, Florida Muslims cannot call the organization for help with hate crimes, discrimination, or bullying. Mitchell called the power of Governor Ron DeSantis to punish an American civil rights organization for its speech an affront to the Constitution.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement supported the ruling. The agency called the decision the right call for the safety of Floridians and stated it remains vigilant against threats. The department emphasized its commitment to keeping residents safe.
The designation originated from HB 1471, which the Florida legislature passed in March. Governor DeSantis signed the bill in April, and it went into effect on 1 July. The law allows officials to brand nonprofit corporations with stigma and use state authorities to silence and incapacitate the organization through criminal, civil, and administrative penalties.
CAIR sued the governor in July alongside the ACLU and the SPLC. The group argued that the designation opens them up to immediate and irreparable harm, including the shuttering of all operations and advocacy in the state. The lawsuit noted that the designation model does not require the state to provide all reasons for the designation or prove that the organization violated any law.
