Gov. DeSantis Declares Two Groups as Terrorist Organizations in Florida

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has officially signed an executive order on Monday, categorizing two organizations as foreign terrorist entities.

The executive order specifically identifies the Society of Muslim Brothers, widely known as the “Muslim Brotherhood,” as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO). The order cites the group’s longstanding association with violent activities, including political assassinations and attacks targeting civilians.

The order also highlights the Muslim Brotherhood’s involvement in establishing Hamas, which the United States designated as a foreign terrorist organization in 1997. Recently, Hamas has been implicated in the deaths of over 1,200 individuals in Israel following an attack in October 2023.

The order states, “Muslim Brotherhood chapters in the Middle East participated in attacks against Israel alongside, or provided material support to, Hamas, Hezbollah, and other Palestinian groups.”

Additionally, the order classifies the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as a foreign terrorist organization. It alleges that CAIR was founded in 1994 by the Palestine Committee, a group linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, purportedly to support Hamas activities in the United States.

Per its website, CAIR touts itself as a “Washington-based Islamic advocacy group” dedicated to protecting the civil rights of Muslim Americans.

However, the executive order says that individuals associated with CAIR have been convicted of providing and conspiring to provide “material support to designated terrorist organizations.”

“Florida agencies are hereby directed to undertake all lawful measures to prevent unlawful activities by these organizations, including denying privileges or resources to anyone providing material support,” DeSantis wrote.

DeSantis’ order comes just two weeks after President Donald Trump issued his own executive order setting up a process to designate certain Muslim Brotherhood chapters as FTOs, particularly those in Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan.

Meanwhile, DeSantis said his recent order took effect immediately upon his signing.