Florida Governor DeSantis designates CAIR as a terrorist organization

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has designated the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as a foreign terrorist organization. DeSantis stated that CAIR was named an unindicted co-conspirator in a major terror financing trial and urged other states to follow Florida's lead.

Concurrently, the Trump administration is reportedly preparing a crackdown on various nonprofit organizations. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and the IRS are considering revoking the tax-free 501(c)(3) status of several groups, including George Soros’ Open Society Foundations, the Southern Poverty Law Center, and CAIR. Treasury officials are reportedly drafting a blueprint for audits that could result in significant civil penalties and back payments for non-compliant organizations.

The administration's actions are facing legal challenges, including a lawsuit from the group Protect Democracy, which accuses the Treasury and the IRS of weaponizing the tax code against political opponents.