Texas Muslim families claim they were "shut out" of school voucher program; Islamic schools can now apply after extension
Texas families have two more weeks to apply for the state's school voucher program. That's because of two new lawsuits that claim the state is excluding Islamic private schools from participating.
The court order mandates that the Islamic schools mentioned in the lawsuits must receive registration links within 24 hours to submit applications for the TEFA program. It does not guarantee them acceptance.
An Islamic advocacy group, the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), is named in both lawsuits.
Governor Greg Abbott designated them a terrorist organization in November 2025, and CAIR said that's why Islamic schools in Texas affiliated with them were blocked from participating in the voucher program.
"Schools must be allowed to apply, and their applications must be processed on the same terms as the other schools in accordance with the law," National Deputy Director of CAIR Edward Ahmed Mitchell said. "If Comptroller Hancock decides to let them apply but then deny them, he's going to be dragged back into court again."
"For the critics who say they do not want their taxpayer dollars going to Islamic-affiliated schools, what would you say to them?" asked CBS News Texas reporter Lacey Beasley.
"If there are any taxpayers who don't want school vouchers going to Islamic schools because they dislike Islam, well then, you have to get rid of the school voucher program altogether. You can't say I'm going to send these vouchers to just Christian schools or just Jewish schools, but not Muslim or Hindu schools," Mitchell answered.
The state comptroller's office runs the voucher program. In January, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said the agency has the right to exclude schools from participating.
Paxton's example was that if a school was found to be providing material support to a designated terrorist organization, like CAIR, it could be ineligible for the program.
One parent's lawsuit claims that designation is being used as a "pretext to exclude Islamic schools from TEFA based on broad, guilt-by-association theories that treat hosting community events, facilitating civic education, or being located at addresses where Islamic organizations have met as disqualifying 'ties' to terrorism."
One of the lawsuits filed by a parent in Houston argues his two children cannot apply for vouchers because their accredited Islamic school was not included. He claims that it violates constitutional rights, like freedom of religion.
CAIR is challenging the governor's designation that they are a terrorist group. The U.S. State Department has not designated the organization as a terrorist group.
The new deadline for all families to apply is March 31.
