Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced that the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) will be designated as foreign terrorist organizations at the state level, following a similar move by Texas Governor Greg Abbott.

The order directs Florida agencies to prevent unlawful activities by these groups and deny resources to anyone providing material support, citing alleged links to violence, terrorism, and fundraising for Hamas.

CAIR and its Florida chapter condemned the designation, calling it unconstitutional, defamatory, and politically motivated, accusing DeSantis of prioritizing Israeli interests over Floridians and targeting American Muslims critical of U.S. policies in Israel.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier supported the order, while CAIR has indicated plans to challenge it in court, arguing it violates First Amendment and due-process rights, Fox News has reported.

The state-level designation does not carry the legal authority of a federal Foreign Terrorist Organization listing, which only the U.S. State Department can issue.