Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Thursday filed a lawsuit against the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), calling on a judge to shut down the organisation’s operations in the state. Paxton also named the Muslim Brotherhood in the suit, describing it as an international Sunni Muslim group. 

In the lawsuit, filed in state court in Collin County, Paxton alleged that CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood are working together as a “radical terrorist organisation that exists to usurp governmental power and establish dominion through Sharia law.” 

Paxton asked the court to officially declare CAIR as a foreign terrorist organisation and a transnational criminal organization. He also requested that the group be prohibited from operating in Texas. This includes blocking CAIR from fundraising activities within the state. 

The lawsuit comes at a time when Republican elected officials in Texas and across the country have launched multiple probes and legal actions against CAIR and other Muslim organisations. These developments have been taking place amid what the report described as a surge in Islamophobia. 

CAIR has strongly denied the allegations and said it is being targeted because of its opposition to Israel over the war in Gaza. In a statement, CAIR said it would continue operating in Texas even while facing lawsuits and investigations. 

“We have also defeated Greg Abbott’s attacks on the Constitution three different times in a row,” a CAIR spokesperson said. “We look forward to doing so again.” 

CAIR has been one of the leading voices defending pro-Palestinian protesters and has also pushed back against policies that the group says discriminate against people who oppose Israel. This has brought CAIR into conflict with pro-Israel Republican officials, who have increased anti-Muslim rhetoric in the past year, including during campaign events. 

In recent months, authorities launched investigations into the East Plano Islamic Center and a planned development built around a mosque. The developers of the project said the community was open to anyone, regardless of religion. The U.S. Department of Justice eventually closed its investigation without taking any action. However, Paxton still filed a securities lawsuit related to the matter, despite pushback from the Texas State Securities Board. 

The lawsuit also follows earlier political action by Texas Governor Greg Abbott. In November, Abbott declared CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist organisations and transnational criminal organisations. Last month, Abbott urged Paxton to take legal action against the group. 

In his lawsuit, Paxton repeated Abbott’s claim that CAIR is a covert operation of the Muslim Brotherhood. The filing again described the Muslim Brotherhood as a “radical terrorist organisation that exists to usurp governmental power and establish dominion through Sharia law.” 

Paxton also referenced CAIR’s support for the 2024 student protests at the University of Texas at Austin related to the Gaza war. He compared the group’s support of the protests to a Hamas program that provides stipends to families of terrorists killed while carrying out attacks on Israeli citizens. 

Through the lawsuit, Paxton is asking the judge to confirm Abbott’s earlier declaration that CAIR is a terrorist organization and transnational criminal organisation. He also wants the penalties tied to that designation to be enforced. These penalties include preventing CAIR from owning property, fundraising, or recruiting new members in Texas. 

In a statement, Paxton said, “jihadists who follow sharia law have no business being in Texas.” 

“It’s imperative that they are stopped from operating in Texas,” Paxton said. “Radical Islamic terrorists are antithetical to law and order, endanger the people of Texas, and are an existential threat to our values.” 

CAIR has rejected the accusations and said the organization has not committed any wrongdoing. The group stated that it follows all laws and exists to support civil rights and justice. According to CAIR, its purpose is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims. 

CAIR also said Paxton’s lawsuit is “late,” noting that the organization has already filed a lawsuit in federal court to block Abbott’s proclamation that labeled CAIR as a terrorist organization. That federal case is still pending and has not been decided. 

The CAIR spokesperson also compared this legal action to a separate case involving Paxton. 

“Just as Mr. Paxton’s attempt to shut down a Latino voting rights group failed last week, his latest attempt to target our civil rights group is also doomed to fail,” the spokesperson said. 

The spokesperson also criticized Paxton’s actions and argued that the attorney general should focus on serving Texans instead of silencing them. 

“The people of Texas elected Mr. Paxton to serve them, not to silence Texans who dared to oppose Israel’s genocide in Gaza,” the spokesperson said. 

The lawsuit marks the latest step in growing legal and political clashes between Texas Republican leadership and CAIR, as debates around the Gaza war, student protests, and civil rights advocacy continue to intensify across the state.