CAIR — the Council on American-Islamic Relations — has filed a lawsuit against Gov. Ron DeSantis over an executive order designating the Muslim civil rights organization as a "foreign terrorist organization."

The 35-page lawsuit was filed Tuesday and argues the order is unconstitutional. CAIR Florida, the state chapter of the nation's largest Muslim civil rights organization, held a news conference in Tampa to announce the legal action.

"It is retaliatory," said Omar Saleh, CAIR Florida's attorney. "This isn't the first time we've sued the governor for trying to squelch speech. We did it two years ago when he tried to shut down Students for Justice in Palestine at the University of South Florida, and SJP at USF still stands today."

CAIR-Florida filed a lawsuit against Florida DeSantis in Nov. 2023, contesting state orders to deactivate branches of Students for Justice in Palestine at public universities in Florida. A federal judge rejected the complaint in Jan. 2024, stating that the restriction had not been implemented, making the case invalid.

"Our greater concern is the backlash from the community," Saleh said. "We're not afraid of somebody seeing what we do or trying to stop contracts, of which we don't have any in Florida."

Last week, DeSantis said he welcomed a lawsuit, noting the state could use discovery to pursue bank records and other information. The case has been filed in federal court in Tallahassee. No hearing date has been set.

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