Gov. Greg Abbott’s proclamation designating a national Muslim civil rights group a “foreign terrorist organization” does not apply to its local Texas chapters, Attorney General Ken Paxton argued in a court filing Monday.
The argument comes as part of a 12-page denial of claims in the federal lawsuit filed by the Dallas-Fort Worth and Austin chapters of the Council on American-Islamic Relations — or CAIR — just a few days after Abbott made the declaration.
Paxton claims the suit has no merit in part because Abbott's proclamation was directed to CAIR's national entity, not the Texas chapters — calling the national group “a different legal entity than either” local chapter.
"Radical Islamist terrorist groups are anti-American, and the infiltration of these dangerous individuals into Texas must be stopped,” Paxton said in a statement. “My office will continue to defend the Governor’s lawful, accurate declaration that CAIR is an FTO, as well as Texas’s right to protect itself from organizations with documented ties to foreign extremist movements.”
KERA News reached out to CAIR's Texas chapters and will update this story with any response.
Paxton also argues the groups can’t sue because the attorney general hasn't pursued any legal action related to Abbott's designation. And, he claims he has sovereign immunity from the suit, citing the Eleventh Amendment.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
