TAMPA — Governor Ron DeSantis announced Florida’s intent to designate the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the Muslim Brotherhood and Antifa as terrorist organizations under state law, marking the first use of powers established by HB 1471 and extending the list to include more than 90 Foreign Terrorist Organizations such as the Cartel de Sinaloa and Tren de Aragua.
“Today, we are officially designating terrorist organizations under Florida law,” DeSantis said. “In addition to CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood, we are adding Antifa to the list — along with more than 90 Foreign Terrorist Organizations, including cartels.”
The designations, recommended by the Chief of Domestic Security within the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, require confirmation by the Florida Cabinet before carrying the full force of state law. Once confirmed, state and local governments will be prohibited from providing taxpayer funding, contracts or other public support to designated organizations. Public colleges, universities and school districts will be barred from using public resources to support or promote them. Individuals who knowingly provide material support or resources to designated groups will face criminal penalties, and designated organizations may be subject to dissolution under statute.
“Keeping our community safe starts with identifying the threat,” said FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass. “The safety of our community is strengthened by that knowledge every day, and reinforced by the collaboration between our officers, our federal partners, and — most importantly — the people we serve.”
The action builds on an executive order DeSantis signed last December directing state agencies to eliminate the influence of radical terrorist ideologies and organizations operating in Florida. That order designated the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR as terrorist organizations for purposes of state executive action and instructed agencies to deny taxpayer funding, contracts, employment and other public support where authorized by law. DeSantis signed HB 1471 earlier this year, creating a permanent statutory framework that established a formal designation process through FDLE, created state enforcement mechanisms and ensured foreign or religious legal codes cannot override the United States or Florida Constitutions in state courts.
“Last December, I signed an Executive Order to eliminate the influence of radical terrorist ideologies and the organizations that promote them in Florida. This year, I signed legislation to strengthen those protections and give Florida permanent statutory tools to combat terrorism while defending the Constitutional rights of our citizens,” DeSantis said.
Among the more than 90 Foreign Terrorist Organizations recommended for designation are the Cartel de Sinaloa, Tren de Aragua, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Cartel del Noreste and Cartel del Golfo. Florida has also moved separately to prohibit colleges and universities from entering agreements with institutions affiliated with foreign countries of concern and has restricted taxpayer funds for programs benefiting foreign adversaries.
The Florida Cabinet must now vote to confirm the designations before the prohibitions and criminal penalties take effect.