Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced that the state will designate three groups—CAIR Florida, the Muslim Brotherhood, and Antifa—as terrorist organizations under a law that took effect Wednesday.
The new statute grants the governor and cabinet authority to label organizations as terrorist entities, to withhold public funding, and to impose criminal penalties for material support.
The action reverses a prior court ruling that blocked an earlier executive order targeting the same groups, with the judge stating the governor lacked unilateral authority to make such designations.
DeSantis said the law provides the necessary legal framework to enforce the designations and adds “teeth” to Florida’s counter‑terrorism tools.
FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass recommended the designations, and the governor and cabinet must vote on them within seven days as required by the statute.
If approved, the groups will be barred from receiving taxpayer funding or other public support, and individuals who knowingly provide material assistance could face severe criminal penalties.
The administration also plans to seek terrorist designations for more than 90 foreign organizations, including several drug cartels and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, under the same law.
Critics argue the law grants extensive power to state officials, but DeSantis defended it as a common‑sense measure aimed at groups engaged in violent or extremist conduct.
The governor expects to call an emergency cabinet meeting to finalize the designations and does not anticipate opposition from cabinet members.
