Full Breakdown
Florida Governor Moves to Designate Groups as Terrorist Organizations Under New State Law
7/3/2026, 1:14:03 AM
DeSantis Initiates Terrorist Designations Under HB 1471
On July 1, 2026, Governor Ron DeSantis announced that Florida will begin using the newly enacted HB 1471 to label organizations as terrorist entities. The first wave targets three groups—Antifa, the Muslim Brotherhood, and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)—with the law allowing the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) chief to propose designations that the governor and the four-member Cabinet must approve by majority vote before publication.
Legislative Background and Prior Executive Action
HB 1471, signed into law in early 2026, creates permanent statutory tools for identifying, designating, and restricting support for terrorist organizations. DeSantis previously issued an executive order in December 2025 that designated CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist organizations, a move he described as eliminating “radical terrorist ideologies” in the state.
Groups Targeted and Scope of Designations
In addition to the three domestic designations, the governor’s office received recommendations to label more than 90 foreign terrorist organizations. Named entities include the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and drug-trafficking groups such as Cartel de Sinaloa, Tren de Aragua, Cartel del Noreste, and Cartel del Golfo. Under the statute, designated groups would lose eligibility for public contracts, taxpayer funding, and any affiliation with state-funded schools or scholarship programs.
Official Statements from State Officials
Governor DeSantis framed the action as a public-safety measure, stating that the law “strengthens protections while defending the Constitutional rights of our citizens.” FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass emphasized that “identifying the threat” enhances community safety and highlighted collaboration with federal partners.
Criticism and Legal Opposition
Civil-rights groups argue the designations threaten First Amendment freedoms. CAIR’s statement asserted that the organization “has never engaged in terrorist activity” and condemned the move as “politically motivated.” ACLU National Security Project director Hina Shamsi called the designations “both dire and unmoored from reality,” emphasizing protected speech rights. The Southern Poverty Law Center’s deputy legal director Scott McCoy warned that the governor’s actions “seek to unilaterally silence a leading American civil-rights nonprofit.” CAIR and CAIR-Florida have filed lawsuits in the Northern District of Florida, alleging violations of free speech, association, and petition rights and challenging the lack of an appeal process.
Conflicting Reports and Gaps
The designations remain pending Cabinet approval; no final list has been published. Sources differ on whether the law’s criminal penalties have been enacted, and the precise criteria for “material support” are not detailed in the available reports.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Last December, I signed an Executive Order to eliminate the influence of radical terrorist ideologies and the organizations that promote them in Florida. This year, I signed legislation to strengthen those protections and give Florida permanent statutory tools to combat terrorism while defending the Constitutional rights of our citizens,” — Ron DeSantis, Governor of Florida
- “Keeping our community safe starts with identifying the threat,” — Mark Glass, FDLE Commissioner
- “Florida’s imminent designation of our clients is both dire and unmoored from reality.” — Hina Shamsi, Director, ACLU National Security Project
- “Regardless of what Gov. DeSantis thinks, the U.S. Constitution is supreme across our nation, including in Florida. Gov. DeSantis is seeking to unilaterally silence a leading American civil rights nonprofit and punish those who support it,” — Scott McCoy, Deputy Legal Director, Southern Poverty Law Center
What’s Next
The Florida Cabinet must vote on the proposed designations in the coming weeks. Parallel federal lawsuits are expected to proceed, and state universities are preparing to enforce the law’s student-expulsion provisions if the designations are finalized.
