Texas Governor Greg Abbott proclaimed on 18 November 2025 that designated not only the Muslim Brotherhood but also the Council on American Islamic Relations as foreign terrorist and transnational criminal organizations. This activated enforcement powers under Texas law and introduced restrictions targeting land acquisitions by identified entities.
Note that the proclamation allowed the office of Attorney General Ken Paxton to initiate legal action to dissolve identified groups within Texas. Abbott argued that the Muslim Brotherhood engaged in terrorism and destabilization and described the Council on American Islamic Relations as a successor entity linked to Islamist movements.
Abbott cited a mere set of assertions rather than new investigative findings. One of which includes a reference to the ideological claims about Islamist goals and alleged attempts to impose religious legal systems. However, he offered no independently verified evidence, official security findings, or documented operational links between the organizations.
Neither the Muslim Brotherhood nor the Council on American Islamic Relations appears on the federal foreign terrorist organization list maintained by the State Department. It is also worth noting that the designation carries no federal penalties but triggers Texas statutes that regulate property acquisition and authorize targeted enforcement actions within the state.
The Council on American Islamic Relations issued a statement rejecting the proclamation and denying any organizational link to the Muslim Brotherhood. The organization described the action as defamatory and politically driven and signaled an intent to pursue judicial remedies, including the possibility of litigation challenging the designation.
Prior actions by Abbott, which include 2024 legislative efforts to restrict land purchases by entities linked to foreign groups and regulatory scrutiny of proposed Muslim communities near Dallas, mark his pronounced stance against both foreign non-state actors. Civil rights advocates warned that the designation could erode civil liberties and intensify political polarization.
The Muslim Brotherhood is a transnational Islamist movement founded in Egypt in 1928 that expanded through global political and religious networks. The Council on American Islamic Relations is a US-based civil rights and advocacy organization established in 1994 that focuses on legal defense, public education, and policy engagement.
Photo Credit: Larry D. Moore / 2024 / Adapted / CC BY-SA 4.0