Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has formally answered a lawsuit from the Council on American-Islamic Relations after Governor Abbott labeled CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood as state-level threats, and Paxton’s office is defending that designation in court while arguing the matter belongs in state, not federal, court.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a response to the lawsuit brought by the Council on American-Islamic Relations, with his office issuing an official statement and legal filing to push back on CAIR’s claims . The move is being presented as a defense of Texas’s authority to classify and guard against organizations it sees as tied to foreign extremist movements. This response comes amid growing political attention and will land squarely in courtroom debate.
In the office announcement, officials stated plainly: “Attorney General Ken Paxton has taken legal action to defend Texas’s lawful designation of the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (“CAIR”) as foreign terrorist organizations under Texas law.” That statement frames the filing as a legal step to uphold the state’s declaration and to resist what they describe as baseless challenges. Paxton’s message is clear: Texas will not quietly surrender its right to act in the name of public safety.
“Radical Islamist terrorist groups are anti-American, and the infiltration of these dangerous individuals into Texas must be stopped,” said Attorney General Paxton. “My office will continue to defend the Governor’s lawful, accurate declaration that CAIR is an FTO, as well as Texas’s right to protect itself from organizations with documented ties to foreign extremist movements.” Those words underline the legal posture being advanced: a combination of public-safety rhetoric and constitutional arguments about state authority.
Governor Greg Abbott issued the state-level declaration on Nov. 18, labeling both CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood as a “foreign terror organization” and a “transnational criminal organization.” The proclamation is a state action and does not equate to a U.S. State Department foreign terrorist organization designation, but it does carry legal consequences inside Texas. Among other effects, the declaration is intended to prevent these groups from acquiring land or developing segregated communities within the state, a policy Abbott and Paxton say protects Texans and property rights .
President Trump took similar action against the Muslim Brotherhood just days after Abbott’s proclamation, signaling coordination in approach among conservative leaders concerned about international extremist influence. That federal-level move gave additional weight to the state debate and raised the stakes in the legal fight over who decides and how. The timing has fueled political energy around the issue as litigation proceeds .
The Dallas-Fort Worth and Austin chapters of CAIR filed suit seeking to overturn Abbott’s designation and arguing the state is violating chapter rights and exceeded its authority. Their claims assert that the designation carries defamatory consequences and legal burdens for local chapters operating in Texas. The litigation challenges the scope of executive power at the state level and presses constitutional questions about free association and due process.
Paxton’s legal team asked the court to dismiss the suit, invoking sovereign immunity and arguing the case should be handled under state jurisdiction rather than in federal court. The response denies nearly every substantive allegation in CAIR’s complaint and characterizes the plaintiffs’ claims as speculative. Paxton also noted that, at the time of the filing, the state had not undertaken further legal actions against the groups that would justify federal intervention.
This announcement doubles as a political statement as Paxton’s Senate campaign gains visibility, and the attorney general has framed the matter as part of a broader commitment to security and conservative values. Supporters see the legal push as consistent with a no-nonsense approach to threats and as an example of state leadership pushing back where federal action has been slow or uncertain. Opponents argue the move raises civil liberties questions, but Paxton’s camp emphasizes safety first.
“CAIR has been designated as a foreign terrorist organization not only by Texas, but also by the State of Florida and the United Arab Emirates and has been labeled by an FBI special agent as a ‘front group for Hamas,’” the press release announcing the response ended. “Attorney General Paxton will continue to work to identify and combat foreign terrorist and transnational criminal organizations that threaten public safety, American values, and national security.” That closing line makes the attorney general’s priorities unmistakable and signals continued litigation and public messaging in the months ahead.
