TAMPA, Fla. — Akeel & Valentine, CAIR Legal Defense Fund (CAIR LDF), the Muslim Legal Fund of America (MLFA) and the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) announced the filing of a federal lawsuit suing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
The organizations say they are suing DeSantis for a "blatantly unconstitutional" executive order targeting the Council on American-Islamic Relations and its Florida chapter, CAIR-Florida.
The lawsuit filed Tuesday in the Northern District of Florida argues that DeSantis has violated the Constitution of the United States and otherwise exceeded his legal authority
READ THE LAWSUIT HERE
CAIR v DeSantis Complaint by Tampa Bay 28
CAIR, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that has operated for nearly 25 years, is one of the largest Muslim civil rights organizations in the country, working to defend victims of discrimination.
The governor designated the nonprofit as a "terrorist organization" through an executive order on Dec. 8.
The announcement, made through posts on the governor’s official Facebook and X accounts, said: "Florida agencies are directed to prevent unlawful activities by these organizations, including denying privileges or resources to anyone providing material support."
Tampa Bay 28's Annette Gutierrez was at the press conference on Dec. 9, when CAIR leaders announced their plans to sue the governor. The organization said it condemns any acts of terrorism from organizations like al-Qaeda and Hamas, calling DeSantis's designation a political stunt designed to create fear.
"This is an attack on our constitution. An attack on CAIR is an attack on our liberties, it is an attack on our constitution, and if you care about upholding the constitution, if you are truly America first, you have to prioritize fighting against these types of attacks," Hiba Rahim, Deputy Executive Director of CAIR-Florida, said.
DeSantis responded by saying he welcomes the legal challenge.
"I think you're going to see statutory codification of how we handle different terror designations, but I welcome the lawsuit because what will happen is that will give the state of Florida discovery rights to be able to subpoena the bank records," DeSantis said.
CAIR-Florida is set to hold a press conference in Tampa on Dec. 16 at 12:30 p.m., following the filing, to discuss the new development.
"They have absolute power. They control everything."
An elderly Pasco County homeowner has been living as a fugitive for six months, hiding in another state after her HOA obtained an arrest warrant over unpaid fines and fees stemming from violations. Tampa Bay 28 I-Team Investigator Adam Walser has been covering the unchecked power and growing influence of HOAs in Florida for years and spoke with Ying Pang about her issues.
