Muslim civil rights and advocacy group calls on community to mobilize for binding guardrails

(AUSTIN, TX, 5/6/2026) – The Texas chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Texas), a chapter of the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed the removal of specific target industries, including mass-surveillance AI and defense technology, from the City of Austin’s Economic Development Resolution (EDR) ahead of the May 7th Austin City Council meeting and vote and called on the Austin community to mobilize to ensure ironclad guardrails are included in the subsequent ordinance.

Following  community mobilization by a broad coalition involving the Austin for Palestine Coalition, VOCAL Texas, Democratic Socialists of America, the Palestinian Youth Movement Central Texas,  Jewish Voice for Peace, and CAIR-Texas, to name a few, the City of Austin released a revised version of the resolution that officially strikes “Defense” and “AI” as named priorities for taxpayer-funded incentives. CAIR-Texas’ advocacy is rooted in 2026 national data showing that civil rights violations increasingly occur through “digital dragnets” and surveillance, which disproportionately impact Muslim, Black, and Brown communities through automated profiling.

SEE: CAIR’s 2026 Civil Rights Report: The Right to be Different

In a statement, CAIR-Texas said:

“We welcome the decision to remove harmful surveillance and defense industries from the city’s priorities. Surveillance technology is not a neutral tool; CAIR research has documented how such methods are used to weaken rights in practice and treat community members as suspicious and outside the circle of protected life. By subsidizing these industries, the city risks creating a ‘chilling effect’ that intentionally suppresses the rights to freedom of speech and peaceful assembly.

“While we celebrate this shift in vision, we are now advocating for the contract. The upcoming ordinance is where the law is made. We must secure explicit guardrails that leave no room for back-door deals with companies that fuel genocide or mass surveillance.”

CAIR’s 2026 report documented a record-breaking 8,683 civil rights complaints nationwide in 2025, the highest single-year total since tracking began in 1996. This data highlights a systemic trend where equal protection increasingly requires active defense against government behavior that treats marginalized groups as suspicious. Factual assessments show that government-coordinated surveillance is used to “intentionally chill” constitutional rights, specifically affecting the safety and dignity of community members in public spaces.

SEE: CAIR’s 2026 Civil Rights Report: The Right to be Different

COMMUNITY CALL TO ACTION

The City Council hearing on Item 24 is scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday, May 7th.

• Testify at the Meeting: Community members who have already signed up to testify are strongly encouraged to attend and share their perspectives on the importance of ethical investment guardrails.
• Review the Revised Resolution: Residents can access the updated resolution language here: https://www.austincouncilforum.org/viewtopic.php?t=2246
• Email the Mayor and Council: Community members are encouraged to urge their representatives to include explicit guardrails in the final ordinance. An action tool is available here: https://secure.ngpvan.com/AIvXX6hHG0OVB2_hoFVq1A2
• Document Opposition: The public is invited to visit the community action document to record stances against subsidized surveillance: tinyurl.com/AustinNoAI

CAIR-Texas’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.

La misión de CAIR-Texas es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.

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CONTACT: Sameeha Rizvi, CAIR-Texas Civic Engagement Organizer, 512-893-1371, srizvi@cair.com; Shaimaa Zayan, CAIR-Texas Austin Operations Manager, 512-785-7105, szayan@cair.com

The Texas chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Texas) today responded to Governor Greg Abbott’s threat to terminate $530,000 in state grants to the City of Grand Prairie. The governor’s ultimatum forced the cancellation of “DFW Epic Eid,” a private community celebration at Epic Waters waterpark.

CAIR-Texas stands in full solidarity with the Texas State Representatives and Senators who, in a joint letter today, defended the constitutional protections against viewpoint discrimination and religious hostility.

SEE: JOINT LEGISLATIVE STATEMENT TO GOVERNOR ABBOTT

The Facts vs. The Narrative

• A Standard Process: The event was booked through the city’s standard private rental process. This is the same process used by churches, sports teams, and civic groups across Texas.
• A Sincere Correction: The organizers recognized the original flyer’s phrasing was ill-advised and corrected it immediately to ensure clarity. The Governor’s threat was issued after these corrections were made.
• A Lawful Gathering: No law enforcement agency or oversight body found any violation of Texas law. The event was a peaceful religious holiday gathering that complied with all local regulations.

In a statement, CAIR-Texas DFW Executive Director Mustafaa Carroll said:

“We acknowledge that the original language used for the DFW Epic Waters Eid event was poorly chosen, and the organizers moved swiftly to fix it. In a state that prides itself on faith and family values, we expect our leaders to act with the grace found in our shared traditions rather than with political retaliation.

“The Quran (42:40) elevates reconciliation over retaliation; the Bible (Matthew 18:22) teaches that mercy should be infinite; and the Torah (Isaiah 55:7) promises abundant pardon for those who seek to do right. It is deeply disappointing to see these universal values cast aside in favor of using a city’s financial stability as a lever against its own residents.

“By using the state’s checkbook to enforce a double standard, Governor Abbott’s ‘enforcement by ultimatum’ unfortunately mirrors the ‘Massive Resistance’ tactics used by segregationist leaders in the 1950s. Whether it was Virginia Governor Thomas Stanley, who signed laws to automatically cut off state funding to any district that didn’t follow his agenda, or Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus, who redirected public funds to shut out Black children from accessing equal public schools, the use of state funding to isolate specific communities from public life is a chapter of history we should not be repeating. We should be building a Texas where everyone is welcome, not one where certain families are subject to a different set of rules.”

CAIR-Texas calls on the Governor to immediately retract his threat and support the fundamental truth of this nation: religious freedom for all.

CAIR-Texas’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.

La misión de CAIR-Texas es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.

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CONTACT: Mustafaa Carroll, CAIR-Texas DFW Executive Director, 469-998-2247, mcarroll@cair.com; Sameeha Rizvi, CAIR-Texas Civic Engagement Organizer, 512-893-1371, srizvi@cair.com