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WASHINGTON: Muslim advocacy group Council \u200bon American-Islamic Relations has suspended operations in Florida after the enforcement of a law that gave state officials power to designate groups as \u201cterrorist organizations,\u201d state officials and CAIR said.<\/p>\n
Earlier this year, Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law a measure giving him and other state officials the power to designate groups as \u201cterrorist organizations\u201d and expel students who support them. Human rights groups say the law chills free speech.<\/p>\n
A federal judge denied a request by CAIR to reverse Florida officials\u2019 \u201cterrorist\u201d designation of \u200cthe Muslim civil \u200crights group. CAIR said it will appeal that ruling.<\/p>\n
The \u200bjudge \u200csaid \u2060that \u200bwhile Florida\u2019s \u2060measure was \u201cnovel \u2014 and perhaps unprecedented,\u201d CAIR did not show that the designation was a form of criminal punishment.<\/p>\n
CAIR documents hate against Muslim Americans, and it blames the Republican-led federal crackdown on immigration and pro-Palestinian protests for a rise in Islamophobia.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have suspended our operations in Florida because of Governor DeSantis and other state officials\u2019 baseless and unconstitutional enforcement of the state\u2019s unprecedented new \u2018domestic terrorist organization\u2019 laws against us,\u201d a note on CAIR-Florida\u2019s \u2060website said.<\/p>\n
The ruling and CAIR\u2019s resulting suspension of operations \u200cin Florida were celebrated by DeSantis and Florida \u200cAttorney General James Uthmeier.<\/p>\n
\u201cGood win,\u201d DeSantis wrote on X.<\/p>\n
US rights \u200badvocates have raised alarm against \u200crhetoric and actions directed toward Muslims, especially from Republicans during the midterm elections campaign. \u200cThe Republican Party ultimately lost its majorities in both houses of the US Congress and suffered setbacks in the vote.<\/p>\n
The law signed by DeSantis in April empowered Florida\u2019s chief of domestic security, governor and cabinet to designate any organization they determine engages in extremist acts as a \u201cterrorist \u200corganization.\u201d<\/p>\n
After such a designation, the group can be forcibly dissolved and face a freeze on state funding, according to \u2060the legislation. It says \u2060students shall be expelled from their institution if they \u201cpromoted\u201d a domestic or foreign \u201cterrorist organization.\u201d<\/p>\n
PEN America and the American Civil Liberties Union condemned the law. PEN America said it \u201ccould chill free speech by placing unprecedented pressure on individuals to avoid speaking, organizing, or engaging with certain viewpoints.\u201d<\/p>\n
DeSantis called it a framework to combat extremism and have accountability in the education system.<\/p>\n
Republican President Donald Trump\u2019s administration and some Republican-governed states have cracked down against left-leaning organizations and pro-Palestinian groups that they cast as extremist, antisemitic and anti-American.<\/p>\n
Those groups say the crackdown violates free speech and due process. They also say Republican officials conflate pro-Palestinian advocacy with support for extremism, and criticism of US ally \u200bIsrael\u2019s assault on Gaza and \u200bits occupation of Palestinian territories with antisemitism.<\/p>\n
Late last year, DeSantis signed an executive order designating CAIR as a \u201cforeign terrorist organization.\u201d A judge eventually blocked that order.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n