Group sues DeSantis over Florida domestic terrorist law

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The Council on American-Islamic Relations filed a federal lawsuit late Wednesday after Gov. Ron DeSantis announced his intent to label the group a domestic terrorist organization under a new state law.

Florida terrorism lawsuit

What we know:

The Council on American-Islamic Relations and CAIR-Florida contend the new law violates the First Amendment and the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida in Tallahassee, states the groups would face irreparable harm in their nonprofit advocacy. The Southern Poverty Law Center, American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Florida, Akeel & Valentine, PLC, and Bondurant Mixson & Ellmore LLP filed the suit.

DeSantis announced his support for the designations last Wednesday. The law targets CAIR, the Muslim Brotherhood, the anti-fascism movement known as antifa, and more than 90 foreign organizations.

Targeted foreign entities include the Venezuelan crime syndicate Tren de Aragua, the Cartel de Sinaloa, the Cartel del Golfo, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran.

Florida Department of Law Enforcement Executive Director Mark Glass makes the recommendations, which must be signed by DeSantis, Attorney General James Uthmeier, Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia and Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson.

State enforcement limits

What we don't know:

Officials have not yet confirmed the exact timeline for finalizing the formal designations by the governor and Cabinet. It remains unclear how state agencies will specifically track down and identify decentralized groups like antifa operating within local communities.

State authorities have not yet detailed the specific criminal penalties or enforcement actions that individuals will face if they are found to be providing material support to these newly designated groups.

Terror designation background

The backstory:

DeSantis signed the underlying legislation on April 6 to back up a December executive order targeting CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood. In March, U.S. District Judge Mark Walker issued a preliminary injunction against the executive order, ruling that it violated CAIR's rights by threatening those who provide the organization with material support.

The new legislation expanded those initial protections into a permanent statute that creates state enforcement mechanisms and criminal penalties. The law also ensures that foreign or religious legal codes cannot override the United States or Florida Constitutions in state courts.

Official counterterrorism statements

What they're saying:

"Today, we are officially designating terrorist organizations under Florida law," DeSantis said during a press conference last week. "In addition to CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood, we are adding Antifa to the list—along with more than 90 Foreign Terrorist Organizations, including cartels."

"Keeping our community safe starts with identifying the threat," said FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass. "The safety of our community is strengthened by that knowledge every day, and reinforced by the collaboration between our officers, our federal partners, and—most importantly—the people we serve."