The order, which took immediate effect and was signed by Governor Greg Abbott, relies on specific provisions of the Texas Penal Code and the Texas Property Code. It grants the state attorney general expanded powers, including enhanced prosecutions, asset freezes, and a complete ban on land acquisitions.

Crucially, the text now equates the activities of the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR — even when operating under civil or advocacy structures — with forms of “gang activity,” a classification previously reserved for Mexican drug cartels but now extended to certain Islamist organizations.

As a result, Texas law subjects entities tied to the Muslim Brotherhood or CAIR, as well as any individual supporting or facilitating their operations, to the maximum sanctions permitted under state law.

On his “X” account, Governor Abbott outlined the legal basis and motivations for his decision. He stated that:

· The Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR are classified as “foreign terrorist organizations” under Article 71.01(e) of the Texas Penal Code. Accordingly, they — and anyone associated with their activities — fall under the sanctions provided by Chapter 125 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code.

· Both groups are also designated as “transnational criminal organizations” and “prohibited entities” under Article 5.254 of the Texas Property Code. As a result, they — along with their affiliated companies and members — are subject to Chapter 5 of the same code, which bars them from acquiring or owning land in Texas.

Key Arguments Presented

In an official statement bearing the seal of the State of Texas, Abbott detailed the reasoning behind the decree. He recalled:

1. That the Muslim Brotherhood is a transnational Islamist organization, citing founder Hassan al-Banna’s writings describing jihad as an obligation involving confrontation with “forces hostile to Islam.”

2. That Mohammed Badie, the Brotherhood’s eighth Supreme Guide — sentenced to life in Egypt — declared that the group’s objective is the “global domination of Islam” through the establishment of an Islamic state or caliphate enforcing sharia.

3. That the Brotherhood supports branches in several countries, some of which engage in international terrorist activities.

4. That the U.S. State Department has designated several of its affiliates — including HASM and Liwa al-Thawra — as global terrorist organizations.

5. That multiple governments (Austria, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates) have banned or severely restricted local Brotherhood branches.

6. That the United States lists Hamas as a foreign terrorist organization, and that the group killed and abducted American citizens on October 7, 2023.

7. That CAIR, according to the FBI, was founded as the “public face of Hamas and its support network in the United States.”

8. That George Washington University’s Program on Extremism considers CAIR part of the reorganized Hamas infrastructure in the U.S., operating under a front identity.

9. That CAIR’s executive director, Nihad Awad, claimed the American Muslim community would soon have “50,000 soldiers representing Islam,” some of whom would “enter public office to advance sharia.”

10. That CAIR was designated an “unindicted co-conspirator” in a major terrorism financing case, with internal documents revealing ties between the organization, the Muslim Brotherhood, and Hamas.

The Legal Framework Invoked

– Texas Penal Code: Article 71.01 defines a “foreign terrorist organization” as a group of three or more individuals operating partly outside the United States, engaged in criminal activity and posing a threat to state security.

Articles 125.064 to 125.066 authorize:

· civil actions to halt their operations;

· the imposition of fines;

· imprisonment for violating court injunctions.

– Texas Property Code: Article 5.253 prohibits certain hostile foreign entities from acquiring land in Texas.

Article 5.254 empowers the governor to designate any transnational criminal organization as a “prohibited entity.”

Articles 5.257 to 5.259 provide civil and criminal penalties for land acquisitions made in violation of this prohibition.

CAIR and Its Militant Network

Governor Abbott also cited several individuals linked to CAIR and involved in activities associated with terrorism, including: Ghassan Elashi, Abderrahman Alamoudi, Randall Todd Royer, Bassem Khafagi, Rabih Haddad, Muthanna al-Hanooti, Sami al-Arian, and Nihad Awad.

Previously Adopted Texas Legislation

Abbott referenced several laws he has signed in recent years:

· House Bill 45 (2017): bans the application of foreign laws in Texas, including sharia.

· Senate Bill 1900 (2023): strengthens state measures targeting foreign terrorist organizations.

· House Bill 4211 (2025): prohibits exclusive residential developments, including those reserved for Muslims.

· Senate Bill 17 (2025): bans land ownership by hostile foreign entities or transnational criminal organizations.

CAIR Distanced by the White House

The statement also notes that the FBI suspended all official contact with CAIR in 2008, and that the Biden administration removed the organization from certain internal databases in 2023, signaling the White House’s desire to distance itself from the group.