U.S. DOJ probes Broken Arrow mosque rezoning denial

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division announced a preliminary investigation into the Broken Arrow City Council’s 4‑1 vote in January to deny a rezoning request for a 15‑acre mosque and retail center proposed by the Islamic Society of Tulsa and the Council on American‑Islamic Relations (CAIR). The probe will assess whether the city’s zoning decision complies with the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) and has requested extensive records and interviews from city officials.

CAIR and the Islamic Society of Tulsa plan to file a federal lawsuit over the denial, while Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond has urged the Trump administration to halt the DOJ inquiry, calling it an example of federal overreach. The Broken Arrow City Council is scheduled to discuss the investigation in an executive‑session meeting.