DeSantis signs Florida law allowing designation of "domestic terrorist organizations," raising civil rights concerns

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday signed a bill allowing Florida to designate certain groups as "domestic terrorist organizations," reinforcing an executive order he issued in December of 2025 that applied the label to two Islamic groups.

The law, which takes effect July 1, bars courts and other adjudicatory bodies from enforcing provisions of foreign or religious law, with particular emphasis on the Islamic code known as Sharia law.

New law expands state authority to designate terrorist groups

Another provision allows the state's chief of domestic security, currently Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Mark Glass, to designate both domestic and foreign terrorist organizations, subject to approval by the governor and Cabinet.

"The legislation we'll sign today is the strongest action Florida has ever taken to protect its people from this influence," DeSantis said during a bill-signing event at the University of South Florida's Gibbons Alumni Center in Tampa. "And obviously, it spans finance, it spans political, it spans culture."

The legislation (HB 1471) was filed in support of DeSantis' executive order classifying the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist organizations.

Legal challenge and civil rights concerns emerge

In March, U.S. District Judge Mark Walker issued a preliminary injunction against the order, writing that it violated CAIR's rights by targeting and threatening those who provide the organization with material support.

CAIR-Florida Executive Director Hiba Rahim criticized the legislation, calling it part of a broader political agenda. She said the law jeopardizes student speech, religious freedom, and due process.

"This is not just about CAIR. This expanded and deeply flawed framework can attack any organization that dares to dissent," Rahim said in a statement. "As Floridians, together, we'll watch how this unprecedented law is enforced, and whether it is used or abused."

DeSantis acknowledged that Sharia law is not practiced in Florida courts but said the measure is intended to prevent its potential influence from spreading into other institutions.

"What I see happening in Europe, I see a migration not to assimilate, but to displace the current cultures that are there," DeSantis said. "We obviously are not going to allow that to happen here in the state of Florida."

Universities, funding and enforcement provisions detailed

The law also outlines rules for expelling students at state universities who "promote" support for designated terrorist organizations.

Students may face expulsion if their actions can be "reasonably interpreted" as a threat of violence, disrupt the learning environment, infringe on the rights of others, or provide material support or recruitment for such groups.

Additional provisions bar schools affiliated with designated terrorist organizations from receiving state K-12 scholarship funds. Public colleges and universities are also prohibited from using state or federal funding to support programs or campus activities that promote such organizations.

The Republican-controlled Legislature approved the proposal by votes of 80-25 in the House and 25-11 in the Senate.

During debate, Democrats raised concerns that the bill, along with a related public records exemption (HB 1473) shielding how terrorist designations are determined, could deprive targeted groups of due process.

Opponents also warned that individuals, particularly college students, could be accused of ties to designated organizations and face consequences without a criminal conviction.