Tallahassee, Florida — A federal judge has temporarily blocked enforcement of an executive order issued by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis that labeled two Muslim organizations as foreign terrorist groups.
U.S. District Judge Mark E. Walker issued a preliminary injunction on Wednesday, halting the order while a lawsuit challenging it proceeds in court. Walker wrote that the First Amendment prevents state officials from using executive authority in ways that infringe on constitutional rights.
The executive order designated the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist organizations. The policy directed Florida agencies to deny contracts, funding, and employment to the groups or anyone providing them support.
Civil rights groups, including CAIR, filed a lawsuit in December arguing that the designation was unconstitutional and that only the federal government has the authority to officially identify terrorist organizations.
Walker said the case centers on whether a governor can independently label a major American Muslim civil rights group as a terrorist organization outside an emergency situation.
The injunction pauses enforcement of the order while the legal challenge continues in federal court.
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