While the Muslim Brotherhood, a transnational Islamist movement founded in Egypt in 1928, has long been debated in U.S. political circles, it has not been designated a terrorist organisation by the federal government.
The Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Monday signed Executive Order 25-244, formally designating the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as terrorist organisations for purposes of state policy.
The order, issued December 8, directs Florida agencies to “undertake all lawful measures” to prevent what the state describes as “unlawful activities” by the groups and to deny public contracts, employment, funds, or other state-provided benefits to any individual or entity that provides material support to them.
“This action is about protecting Floridians from the threat of radical Islamic terrorism,” DeSantis said during a brief press conference at the Florida Capitol.
“We will not allow organisations aligned with extremist ideologies to exploit the freedoms of our state.”
While the Muslim Brotherhood, a transnational Islamist movement founded in Egypt in 1928, has long been debated in U.S. political circles, it has not been designated a terrorist organisation by the federal government.
Florida’s decision marks the first time a U.S. state has unilaterally applied its own terrorist organization label to the group and to Council on American-Islamic Relations, one of the largest American Muslim civil rights and advocacy organizations.
The order which Governor DeSantis shared on his official X handle late Monday, cites a series of historical links between the Muslim Brotherhood and militant groups overseas, including the founding of Hamas, a federally designated terrorist organization. It also references the 2009 federal case United States v. Holy Land Foundation, in which CAIR was named an unindicted co-conspirator.
“There is ample evidence, going back decades, of coordination, financing, and ideological support between these organizations and extremist groups abroad,” DeSantis said.
The directive instructs the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and the Florida Highway Patrol to take “all lawful measures” to prevent activity linked to the designated groups.
Agencies across state government are instructed not to award contracts, employment, or any financial benefit to anyone who has provided “material support” to the listed organizations.
FDLE Commissioner (not an entity—unnamed in the draft) said the department will immediately begin reviewing compliance obligations.
“We take the governor’s order seriously,” he said. “Our focus is on ensuring threats to public safety are neutralized while following state and federal law.”
The order also directs the Domestic Security Oversight Council to conduct a comprehensive review of the state’s legal authorities and recommend additional actions by January 6, 2026.
“This is not the end of the process,” DeSantis said. “This is the start of a long-term effort to strengthen Florida’s domestic security posture.”
Shortly after the order was released, CAIR issued a statement sharply condemning Florida’s designation.
“This executive order is dangerous, irresponsible, and blatantly unconstitutional,” a CAIR spokesperson said. “We have never been designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. government, nor have we ever engaged in illegal activity. Governor DeSantis is targeting American Muslims for political gain.”
The spokesperson added that CAIR is exploring legal options, calling the claims “smears recycled from long-discredited sources.”
Legal and national-security experts say Florida’s move could face immediate judicial scrutiny.
“It is extraordinary for a state to unilaterally designate organizations as terrorist entities when the federal government has not done so,” said a professor of counterterrorism law at the University of Florida. “Courts will need to determine whether the state has authority to make such classifications without federal concurrence.”
Civil-liberties groups echoed those concerns. “This order risks criminalizing protected speech and association,” said an attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union. “The vague language around ‘material support’ could have sweeping consequences for ordinary Floridians.”
The designation aligns with President Donald Trump’s November 2025 federal executive order initiating a process to review Muslim Brotherhood affiliates for potential terrorist designation.
DeSantis, who has made national security a signature issue, framed Florida’s move as “filling the gap” while the federal review proceeds.
“Florida will not sit and wait,” he said. “We will act.”
The executive order takes immediate effect, though its practical consequences may hinge on how aggressively Florida agencies interpret the material-support provisions and how quickly legal challenges emerge.
For now, Florida becomes the first state in the nation to formally blacklist two prominent organizations in a move supporters hail as decisive — and critics warn is unprecedented overreach.