Governor Greg Abbott (R) is demanding that the Texas Office of the Attorney General use its statutory authority to revoke the nonprofit status of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and eliminate the organization's ability to operate in Texas.
In a letter sent to the Attorney General, Ken Paxton, Gov. Abbott cited what he described as extensive documentation linking CAIR and its affiliates to extremist activity and the Muslim Brotherhood.
"Voluminous documents detail the dangers posed to Texans by the Muslim Brotherhood, CAIR, and their affiliates," said Gov. Abbott. "Regardless of the facade CAIR attempts to portray in press releases, CAIR cannot be allowed to use its 'nonprofit' status as a shield for sponsoring terror, advancing radical Islamism in Texas, or fronting for the Muslim Brotherhood."
Gov. Abbott emphasized that under Texas law, the Attorney General is the sole elected official with the ability to regulate nonprofit organizations suspected of violating state law. That allows Paxton to examine organizational records and revoke corporate charters.
"You have used these tools before; I urge you to use them now to combat CAIR," Abbott wrote.
The governor's demand is part of a broader series of actions he says are aimed at defending Texas communities and upholding the rule of law.
According to Abbott's office, those actions include:
- Calling on Cypress-Fairbanks ISD to sever ties with CAIR-sponsored Islamic Games.
- Requesting that U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent suspend CAIR's federal tax-exempt status.
- Directing the Texas Department of Public Safety to open investigations into CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood.
Abbott has also ordered investigations into "Sharia courts" and announced the designation of the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR as foreign terrorist organizations for purposes of state enforcement.
The letter escalates pressure on the Attorney General's office to take direct enforcement action and places renewed focus on the state's authority to regulate nonprofits operating within Texas.
