Muslim civil rights and advocacy group welcomes court’s decision to significantly limit Texas governor’s fishing expedition

(WASHINGTON, DC – 5/7/2026) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations, the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned Texas Governor Greg Abbott for “blatantly lying” about a court order issued this week as part of the group’s ongoing lawsuit against the governor’s unconstitutional terrorism proclamation.

CAIR also welcomed the federal court’s decision to significantly limit Abbott’s attempt to go on a “fishing expedition” into the organization.

In the months since CAIR’s Texas chapters filed a federal lawsuit to block implementation of Mr. Abbott’s unconstitutional “terrorism” proclamation that purports to ban CAIR from purchasing land in the state, the governor has tried to delay a judicial ruling on the merits of his proclamation and instead use the discovery process to pursue a witch hunt into CAIR and its supporters.

Most recently, Abbott filed a discovery motion that demanded the names of every donor who has supported CAIR’s work over the past ten years. The court rejected his demand, ruling instead that the governor can conduct only a limited review of any foreign donations made to CAIR between 2021 and 2024 above a certain monetary amount. The court also significantly limited Abbott’s other requests for information.

In the wake of the ruling, Governor Abbott falsely claimed in a public post on X that the court had granted his request for CAIR’s entire “donor list” and donee list.”

In a statement, CAIR said:

“Facts matter in court. So does the law. Contrary to Greg Abbott’s claim, a federal court just rejected his attempt to go on a McCarthyist fishing expedition into our civil rights work.

“Mr. Abbott wanted the names of every American who has donated to CAIR over the past ten years, but the court ruled that he can only review the names of any foreign donors who may have donated to us from 2021 to 2024 above a certain monetary limit.

“So be it. As an American civil rights organization, we rely on the American people for support. Nearly all of our donations from people across America, many of them not even Muslim.  

“That Governor Abbott would try to celebrate and distort an order where the vast majority of his discovery was rejected underscores his ‘proclamation’ is nothing more than bad political theater.

“We look forward to defeating Governor Abbott’s unconstitutional antics in court for the fourth time in a row and once again protecting every American’s right to free speech, God willing.”

CAIR’s operational budget is overwhelmingly funded by donations from the American people. While most of those donations come from American Muslims, many of our donations come from the broader American public. In any given year, a small and negligible percentage of donations to CAIR come from individuals who are not based in the United States. In 2023, less than one percent of our donors were individuals based outside of America, most of them in Canada, and their contributions represented less than one percent of the total raised that year.

BACKGROUNDER:

CAIR has filed and won lawsuits three different times in recent years that blocked Texas’ attempts to silence Americans critical of the Israeli government, including a civil engineer, a school teacher, and college student groups.

In apparent retaliation, Governor Abbott issued a unilateral and unconstitutional proclamation declaring CAIR, an registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, a “foreign terrorist group” and barring it from purchasing land in Texas. 

Various civil rights groups like the ACLU of Texas, political groups like the Texas Democratic Party, 27 Texas State Representatives, and members of Congress have condemned Governor Abbott’s illegal targeting of CAIR.

“This proclamation raises significant First Amendment and due process concerns. It represents the latest escalation by state officials in a pattern of politically motivated attacks on nonprofit organizations led by, and primarily serving, immigrants and communities of color. We demand transparency and accountability in government actions that impact community-serving nonprofits and remain committed to working toward a freer and fairer Texas for all.” – ACLU TX

“Abbott’s Islamophobic attacks threaten the freedoms of us all…When politicians decide who gets rights based on fear and prejudice, every American’s liberty is at risk.” – Asian Americans Advancing Justice

“Texas leaders are weaponizing their power against our communities — and we’re calling it out. These attacks are political retaliation against Texans who dare to organize, vote, and speak out.” – Asian Texans for Justice

“This designation is an attack on democracy, especially the Bill of Rights and is utterly unacceptable. We urge all Americans, faith leaders, civil society advocates, and elected officials to defend Muslim Americans’ right to organize and enjoy their first amendment.” – Sign-on Statement initiated by Justice for All. Endorsed by 10 national organizations, 8 coalitions, 60 state and local organizations, 24 businesses, and 2 individuals as of 12:30 Eastern on November 20, 2025. 

“Rather than addressing the real needs of Texans, Governor Abbott continues to squander time and resources on performative gestures aimed at satisfying his allies within the Islamophobia industry and pro-Israel lobbying groups such as AIPAC.” – American Muslims for Palestine

“This is political theater at its worst: weaponizing fear, pandering to bigotry, and endangering the civil liberties of millions of Americans.” – Muslim American Society

“This is an Islamophobic and inflammatory act of political theatre designed to malign a well-known civil rights organization, which has taken up critical work in defense of our communities for over 30 years.” – Palestine Youth Movement

“This designation is unconstitutional, unsupported by any credible factual basis, and represents bigotry on its face. It stigmatizes an entire community and chills the First Amendment rights of Muslim Texans and all organizations engaged in lawful advocacy.” – Muslim Bar Association of Houston

“The normalization of anti-Muslim hate speech is vile. This bigot [Abbott] should have no place in elected office.” – Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN)

“This is a dangerous, racist, and Islamophobic designation, which is a complete degradation of the First Amendment. While Greg Abbott and the Republicans claim to follow the Constitution, they would trample on someone’s First Amendment rights when they don’t agree with or worship with them.” – Texas Democratic Party

“Texas is strongest when we honor our values of tolerance, pluralism, and respect for all people, and we urge the governor to revoke this decision and reaffirm our state’s commitment to true religious freedom.” – 27 TX State Reps. including Salman Bhojani, Linda Garcia, Jolanda Jones, Lauren Ashley, Ron Reynolds, Chris Turner, Christina Morales, Jessica Gonzalez, Cassandra Garcia Hernandez, Ann Johnson, Suleman Lalani, Donna Howard, Ray Lopez, Armando Walle, Gervin-Hawkins, Vikki Goodwin, Lulu Flores, Josey Garcia, Ana Hernandez, Mihaela Plesea, Terry Meza, Charlene Ward Johnson, Vincent Perez, and Rafael Anchia.

“Allowing the Governor to be the sole arbiter of which American is or is not welcome in our state is incredibly dangerous. This is the emergence of thought crimes, and it should be deeply concerning to every Texan who values Liberty.” – Texas State Rep. Gene Wu

“CAIR—the Council on American-Islamic Relations—has spent decades protecting civil rights, combatting discrimination, and defending Texans from religious hostility. Your proclamation is not about safety. It is about targeting Muslims to score political points.” – TX State Rep. Jolanda Jones

“Governor Abbott’s proclamation smearing CAIR is false, Islamophobic, and dangerous for Muslims across Texas. I stand with our Muslim, Latino, and Asian communities and urge you to call the Governor’s office and reject this politics of fear.” – Texas State Rep. Suleman Lalani

“I strongly condemn Governor Abbott’s dangerous and Islamophobic action targeting CAIR. CAIR is a vital civil-rights organization that supports Muslim Texans facing discrimination. This decision promotes Islamophobia and harms our communities. “ – Houston City Council Member Letitia Plummer

“Governor Abbott’s proclamation is a shameful, un-American attack on religious freedom.”

– Harris County Democratic Party

“The Governor’s rhetoric fractures community trust and undermines the safety and cohesion that government is meant to protect. We, as Harris County Commissioners, condemn the Governor’s decision and urge him to reverse it.” – Harris County Commissioners Rodney Ellis, Lesley Briones, and Adrian Garcia 

“Our role as public servants is to keep people safe and bring people together, not single out residents because of their faith or heritage.” – Former Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee

“Stoking Islamophobia has, for too long, been a ploy for political points. Politicians like Greg Abbott try to stoke the fires of division by othering Minority groups and denying equal rights even to American citizens.”  – Austin City Councilmembers Krista Laine, Mike Seigel, and Zo Qadri

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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com; Shaimaa Zayan, CAIR-Austin Operations Manager, (512) 785-7105, szayan@cair.com; Mustafaa Carroll, CAIR-DFW Executive Director, (832) 549-1042, mcarroll@cair.com; Sameeha Rizvi, CAIR-Austin Civic Engagement Organizer, srizvi@cair.com

The Texas office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Texas) today called on the State Board of Education (SBOE) to reject proposed revisions to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) social studies standards that unfairly target the American Muslim community.

As the SBOE enters final discussions today ahead of a preliminary vote on the first reading of the new curriculum standards, CAIR-Texas is sounding the alarm on a pattern of bias and misinformation that has characterized this process. During Tuesday’s hearing, the board faced hours of testimony regarding proposed changes that tie Islam and Muslim historical figures disproportionately to terrorism while omitting significant contributions of the faith to world history and civilization.

Tuesday’s proceedings were marred by a series of hostile actions from state leadership:

• State Senator Bob Hall testified that the curriculum was an attempt to “Islamify” schools yet failed to provide a single example of “Sharia law” when pressed by board members. 
• SBOE Member Brandon Hall weaponized political rhetoric to interrogate CAIR leadership on baseless terrorism links.
• Member Julie Pickren and others reportedly exited the room during testimony from Muslim constituents, signaling a blatant disregard for the community’s concerns.

The hearing was marked by inflammatory rhetoric from several public witnesses who used the platform to cast aspersions on the faith of millions of Texans. This follows recent national reporting highlighting concerns that the proposed curriculum shifts are being influenced by political ideologies rather than historical accuracy.

SEE: In Texas, a state hearing on social studies becomes a clash of religions

SEE: Revised Social Studies Curriculum Shields Students from Complexity

In a statement, CAIR-Texas Civic Engagement Organizer Sameeha Rizvi said:

“What we witnessed on April 7th was a disturbing display of the very Anti-Muslim hate we are fighting to keep out of our children’s classrooms. As we head into today’s vote, the SBOE must decide if it will prioritize historical integrity or political pandering. Our students across Texas deserve a curriculum grounded in fact, not one that treats their faith as a subset of security studies. We urge the board to vote in favor of accuracy and fairness by rejecting these biased revisions.”

Nicholas Little, Houston Branch NAACP Criminal Justice Chairman, added:

“I have been to Austin advocating on many occasions for many different reasons on the behalf of all communities. This past Tuesday at the State School Board meeting was frustrating, appalling, and may very well be the single thread that unravels our democracy. Attacks on our education system are running rampant and accountability is nowhere to be found. I was even more outraged by the hatred towards our Muslim brothers and sisters whether members of CAIR or just concerned citizens and advocates. Rest assured that injustice and prejudice will not be protected or shielded by people’s choice to be ignorant or misinformed. The fight must continue, and together we will all fight for the entire community!”

CAIR-Texas and a coalition of educators, parents, and community leaders have consistently advocated for the SBOE to:

• Ensure Balanced Representation: Include the cultural, scientific, and social contributions of Muslim civilizations throughout history.
• Remove Biased Frameworks: Eliminate instructional requirements that link religious studies primarily to modern conflict and extremism.
• Uphold Professional Integrity: Prioritize the recommendations of non-partisan subject-matter experts over politically motivated testimonies.

The SBOE is expected to take its first formal vote on the proposed standards today. CAIR-Texas will continue to monitor the proceedings and advocate for a curriculum that reflects the true diversity and history of all Texans. 

In the meantime, CAIR-Texas calls on interfaith leaders and concerned community members to push back against the anti-Muslim hate spreading across the nation by joining our collective call for support.

TAKE ACTION:Interfaith leaders call for support of the Muslim community nation-wide

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; Nicholas Little, Houston Branch NAACP Criminal Justice Chairman, 832-982-6648, justice@naacphouston.org 

(HOUSTON, TX, 3/25/2026) – The Houston office of the Texas chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Houston) today applauded the Houston City Council’s decision to designate March 15 as the ‘International Day to Combat Islamophobia.’

Yesterday, Houston City Council officials announced the proclamation designating the month, which said local Muslim students have been subjected to religious harassment, including “the desecration of the Quran,” which occurred at the University of Houston last year when a man threw the holy Islamic text into a bonfire at a Muslim Students Association gathering. The proclamation defines Islamophobia as a prejudice against the faith group rooted in fear, hatred and ignorance that manifests in “discrimination, exclusion and violence” against not only Muslims, but those who are perceived to be Muslim.

SEE: Houston City Council members raise concerns over Islamophobia, political attacks on Muslims

In a statement, CAIR-Houston Operations Director Imran Ghani said:

“We welcome and applaud this important decision by the city council. The city council’s designation of March 15 as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia and recognition of the threat posed by anti-Muslim bigotry come at a crucial time. Muslims nationwide and in Texas in particular are facing levels of hatred and discrimination not seen since the aftermath of September 11. We hope this designation will serve as a message to anti-Muslim bigots that the city of Houston will not tolerate such hatred against its Muslim citizens.”

In a testimony he gave to Mayor Whitmire and members of Houston City Council to pass an ordinance under consideration that would limit Houston Police Department’s cooperation with ICE, Ghani said:

“Islamophobia is rooted in the same ignorance and hatred that foments fear and violence against all minorities. There is no agency that executes state sanctioned xenophobia more than ICE. For that reason, we urge the city of Houston to pass this ordinance.” 

According to CAIR’s most recent civil rights report, complaints of anti-Muslim bias and discrimination have continued to rise nationwide, reflecting an ongoing pattern of Islamophobia impacting communities across the country.  

SEE: 2026 Civil Rights Report: The Right to be Different

Yesterday, CAIR-NY asked for the public’s assistance with information leading to the arrest and conviction of a man who reportedly attacked a woman on a subway platform while making “anti-Islamic” statements.

Last week, CAIR’s Northern Ohio chapter welcomed the arrest of a man who allegedly plotted a mass shooting at an Ohio mosque.

CAIR’s Pittsburgh chapter also welcomed the arrest of an individual accused of making threats against the Islamic Center of Western Pennsylvania (ICWP) and is calling for continued vigilance to protect Muslim communities.

Earlier this month, CAIR’s Arizona chapter welcomed an arrest for a reported attack targeting children at a mosque in north Phoenix.

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

La misión de CAIR 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: Imran Ghani, Director, CAIR-Texas Houston, ighani@cair.com, 713-922-5270; Aliyan Hashmani, Outreach Coordinator, CAIR-Texas Houston, ahashmani@cair.com, 832-805-6410; John T. Floyd, CAIR National Board Member, CAIR-Texas Houston, 713-254-2016, jfloyd@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com