Texas Governor Greg Abbott has designated the Muslim Brotherhood a “terrorist organisation” and labelled both the group and the Council on American–Islamic Relations (CAIR) as “transnational criminal organisations,” according to an executive order published on Wednesday.
Abbott’s office said the designation was based on long-running federal investigations, court rulings and documented evidence linking the Brotherhood and affiliated groups to extremist activity. The order also cited U.S. cases involving terrorism financing and historic FBI warnings regarding CAIR.
The move imposes sweeping restrictions under Texas’ anti-terror and organised-crime laws, including bans on support, funding or cooperation with individuals or entities tied to the Brotherhood or CAIR. It also bars them from owning property in the state and authorises prosecutors to seek court orders to halt their operations.
Texas officials said the step aims to counter “foreign-funded, cross-border political agendas” and could serve as a model for other U.S. states.
The decision comes as Washington reviews whether to classify the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organisation nationally. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in August that the administration was assessing several groups “that support or engage in terrorism,” adding that a Brotherhood and CAIR designation was “in the works.”
European governments have also increased scrutiny of the group in recent years, though policy responses have varied across the bloc.
