Florida to Label Several Groups as Terrorists Under New State Law

On July 1, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis enacted the state's first-ever designations of terrorist organizations under the newly implemented state law, HB 1471. This law, which came into effect that same day, aims to categorize the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the Muslim Brotherhood, Antifa, and over 90 foreign organizations as terrorist entities.

The declaration was made at the Florida State Prosecutor's Office in Tampa, marking the inaugural use of legislation DeSantis had signed on April 6. This move comes as a response to a judicial block that had previously halted an executive order.

"Last December, I signed an Executive Order to eliminate the influence of radical terrorist ideologies and their supporting organizations in Florida. This year, I enacted legislation to bolster these protections and provide Florida with permanent statutory tools to combat terrorism while safeguarding our citizens' constitutional rights," DeSantis shared on X.

He continued, "Today, we are officially designating terrorist organizations under Florida law. Alongside CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood, we are including Antifa in the list, as well as more than 90 Foreign Terrorist Organizations, including cartels."

According to NBC Miami, these designations must be ratified by Florida's three Cabinet members: Attorney General James Uthmeier, Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia, and Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson. All three are Republicans and will be running in the November elections.

The list includes foreign entities such as the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua, the Sinaloa Cartel, the Gulf Cartel, and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, all of which are already recognized as terrorist organizations by the federal government.

DeSantis emphasized the necessity of drawing a firm line, noting, "We have seen this spread across the country for many, many years," during the announcement.

The governor defended the inclusion of Antifa—a decentralized political movement without formal structure or membership—by stating that the designation is based on actions, not ideology: "While I don't agree with Antifa's ideas, they are militant leftists. It's their actions and what they're involved in that is highly destructive."

The HB 1471 law, passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature with an 80-25 vote in the House and a 25-11 vote in the Senate, was a legislative response to a federal judge's March ruling that blocked an executive order DeSantis signed in December 2025 against CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood.

The executive order was halted because the judge found that DeSantis was overstepping the federal government's exclusive authority on terrorist designations and violating CAIR's constitutional rights.

The new law extends beyond designations: it prohibits state courts from applying religious or foreign laws—with an explicit emphasis on Islamic sharia—mandates the expulsion of university students who "promote" designated organizations, and revokes state scholarships and benefits from those expelled.

CAIR announced plans to challenge the designation in court, describing it as a "dangerous political maneuver intended to stigmatize American Muslims."

Scott McCoy, deputy legal director of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), representing CAIR, was unequivocal in his opposition: "Governor DeSantis seeks to unilaterally silence a prominent civil rights nonprofit and punish its supporters."

Democrats in the Legislature had warned during debates that the law might inadvertently lead to accusations against university students, and that a parallel measure—HB 1473—restricts access to documents explaining the basis for a terrorist designation, depriving those affected of due process.

A full trial on CAIR's original lawsuit against DeSantis's executive order is scheduled for January 2027 before Judge Mark Walker.