Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced on July 2, 2026, that the state intends to use a new law, HB 1471, to designate more than 90 groups as terrorist organizations. This list includes the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the Muslim Brotherhood, and Antifa. The legislation, signed into law earlier this year and effective as of Wednesday, grants the state statutory authority to "identify, designate, and combat terrorist organizations operating in Florida."

Under HB 1471, the Chief of Domestic Security may designate organizations as domestic or foreign terrorist groups, but these designations require majority approval from the governor and the Florida Cabinet before being finalized and published in the Florida Administrative Register.

Governor DeSantis stated, "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."

Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Mark Glass emphasized the importance of the initiative, saying, "Keeping our community safe starts with identifying the threat. 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."

The move has drawn legal objections, notably from CAIR, a Muslim civil rights group, which condemned the designation and vowed to continue challenging the state's actions. CAIR stated it does not engage in "terrorist activity" and has not been charged or convicted of any crime.

The proposed designations must still be approved by the governor and Cabinet before becoming official under the statute.

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