DeSantis Drops the Hammer on Radical Groups – Over 90 Organizations Face Designation

Liberty Check

• Florida leverages new state law to combat terrorism financing and protect taxpayers from funding radical organizations
• Over 90 groups including CAIR, Muslim Brotherhood, Antifa, and dangerous drug cartels face designation under HB 1471
• Law establishes criminal penalties for material support while safeguarding constitutional rights and keeping foreign legal codes out of state courts

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced Wednesday that the state intends to use its newly enacted anti-terrorism statute to designate more than 90 organizations as terrorist groups, marking the first major application of powers established under legislation signed earlier this year.

HB 1471 went into effect Wednesday, giving Florida new statutory authority to “identify, designate, and combat terrorist organizations operating in Florida.” The proposed designations include the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the Muslim Brotherhood, Antifa, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and several violent drug cartels including Cartel de Sinaloa, Tren de Aragua, Cartel del Noreste, and Cartel del Golfo.

“Last December, I signed an Executive Order to eliminate the influence of radical terrorist ideologies and the organizations that promote them in Florida. This year, I signed legislation to strengthen those protections and give Florida permanent statutory tools to combat terrorism while defending the Constitutional rights of our citizens,”

DeSantis said in a statement.

“Today, we are officially designating terrorist organizations under Florida law. In addition to CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood, we are adding Antifa to the list—along with more than 90 Foreign Terrorist Organizations, including cartels.”

Under the new law, the Chief of Domestic Security may initially designate qualifying organizations, but the governor and Cabinet must approve or reject those designations by majority vote before they become official and are published in the Florida Administrative Register. This system ensures accountability and prevents unilateral executive action.

HB 1471 directs state agencies to deny designated groups public support and taxpayer funding. The law establishes enforcement mechanisms and criminal penalties for knowingly providing, attempting to provide, or conspiring to provide material support or resources to designated domestic terrorist organizations.

The legislation restricts certain public benefits, funding, and institutional support connected to designated groups. Importantly, the law also ensures that foreign or religious legal codes cannot override the U.S. Constitution or Florida Constitution in state courts—a critical protection for American sovereignty and the rule of law.

“Keeping our community safe starts with identifying the threat,”

Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Mark Glass said.

“The safety of our community is strengthened by that knowledge every day, and reinforced by the collaboration between our officers, our federal partners, and—most importantly—the people we serve.”

CAIR condemned the move and threatened legal action, claiming it does not engage in “terrorist activity” and has not been charged or convicted of a crime. CAIR and CAIR-Florida previously sued over DeSantis’ December executive order targeting the organization and the Muslim Brotherhood.

“Throughout CAIR’s long history, our civil rights organization has worked to protect the Constitution’s guarantees of free speech, religious freedom and equality under the law,”

the group said in a statement.

“We have also pursued justice for all people, including American Muslims impacted by hate. This is exactly why Gov. DeSantis has repeatedly targeted our organization. We see through Gov. DeSantis’ latest biased attempt to punish us for our views and our values. We look forward to fighting these baseless attacks in court and proving once again that the Constitution is stronger than any politician’s bigotry.”

Critics including the ACLU argue the designations threaten First Amendment-protected speech and association. DeSantis and state officials maintain the law aims to prevent taxpayer support for groups that promote or support terrorism—a common-sense protection for Florida families.

“Florida’s imminent designation of our clients is both dire and unmoored from reality. CAIR and CAIR-Florida’s speech and advocacy are protected by the First Amendment, which includes their right to criticize the governor, other officials, and their policies. We’re asking the court to protect our clients’ cardinal freedoms,”

Hina Shamsi, director of the ACLU’s National Security Project, said in a statement.

The designations, if approved by the Cabinet, would operate under Florida law and would not be the same as federal foreign terrorist organization designations made by the U.S. State Department. This gives Florida independent authority to protect its citizens and ensure state resources are not used to support dangerous organizations.

Our freedoms depend on staying vigilant.