Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and the state Cabinet have formally designated the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the Muslim Brotherhood and Antifa as terrorist organisations under Florida’s state law, as reported in Modern Diplomacy. This brings back the limelight to Congress scion Rahul Gandhi’s 2023 US visit.
Gandhi had appeared at the Hudson Institute in 2023 alongside Sunita Vishwanath, co-founder of Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR). Days later, HfHR joined CAIR, the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) and other organisations in an open letter urging then-US President Joe Biden to reconsider hosting Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a state dinner.
The September 29 decision places CAIR within Florida’s new domestic-terrorism framework and comes amid an escalating legal and political battle over the organisation’s activities in the United States.
More than 90 organisations already designated by the US federal government as Foreign Terrorist Organisations were also added to Florida’s state framework. The designations are scheduled to take effect on November 5.
The action is significant because CAIR has not been designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the US federal government. Florida’s designation is being made under a state law enacted earlier this year that gives state authorities the power to designate domestic and foreign terrorist organisations and impose state-level restrictions on them.
Under the Florida framework, designated organisations can be barred from receiving taxpayer funding and government contracts, while publicly funded institutions can be prohibited from providing resources or support to them. The law also provides for other penalties, including possible dissolution and criminal penalties for knowingly providing material support.
Texas Had Already Designated CAIR In 2025
Florida’s move follows a similar action by Texas Governor Greg Abbott in November 2025. On 18 November 2025, Abbott designated CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood as Foreign Terrorist Organisations and Transnational Criminal Organisations under Texas law, barring them from purchasing or acquiring land in the state and subjecting them to heightened enforcement.
The proclamation cited allegations that CAIR was founded as a “front group” for Hamas and referred to research on the Muslim Brotherhood’s alleged network in the US. Two days later, Abbott directed the Texas Department of Public Safety to launch criminal investigations into CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood over potential violations of state and federal law.
CAIR And The Hamas Controversy
CAIR was founded in 1994 and presents itself as a Muslim civil-rights and advocacy organisation.
However, its origins and links to the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas have been the subject of scrutiny for years.
The Texas proclamation cited the 1993 meeting involving individuals who later became associated with CAIR and Hamas-linked figures, as well as the FBI’s characterization of CAIR as a front group for Hamas and its support network. It also referred to the Holy Land Foundation terrorism-financing case.
CAIR itself was not charged or convicted in that case. However, it was among the organisations listed by federal prosecutors as an unindicted co-conspirator in the Holy Land Foundation case, which resulted in the conviction of five individuals for providing material support to Hamas.
The CAIR–IAMC–HfHR Network And Rahul Gandhi
CAIR’s political activity has also intersected with a wider US-based advocacy network that has been active in campaigns against the Indian government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
One prominent connection emerged during Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s 2023 visit to the United States.
During that visit, Gandhi was photographed at the Hudson Institute sitting alongside Sunita Vishwanath, co-founder of Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR).
Vishwanath’s organisation has worked with the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) and other advocacy groups on campaigns targeting the Modi government. The Commune has previously examined HfHR’s links with IAMC, the Organization for Minorities of India and other groups involved in anti-Hindutva campaigns.
The CAIR connection became particularly clear days after Gandhi’s Hudson Institute appearance.
On 7 June 2023, CAIR, IAMC and HfHR were among 17 organisations that signed an open letter to then-US President Joe Biden urging him to reconsider his decision to host Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a state dinner.
The organisations accused the Modi government of democratic backsliding and alleged violations of minority and civil rights.
The sequence placed Gandhi’s US engagement alongside a network of organisations that included CAIR, IAMC and HfHR in the same political campaign targeting the Modi government.
CAIR’s Campaigns Against Modi
CAIR has itself taken an openly critical position against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In June 2023, ahead of Modi’s address to the US Congress, CAIR urged its supporters to lobby American lawmakers against the Prime Minister and described Modi in highly critical terms. CAIR also campaigned around issues including the Citizenship Amendment Act, Kashmir, religious freedom and alleged discrimination against Muslims in India.
CAIR has simultaneously positioned itself as an organisation fighting alleged Islamophobia in the United States.
An organisation that campaigns against alleged discrimination against Muslims in America has itself been accused of promoting anti-Hindu and anti-India narratives.
The CAIR-HfHr-Soros Connection
HfHR has received indirect funding from George Soros-linked sources through the Tides Foundation. Its co-founder, Sunita Viswanath, has also had associations with George Soros and organisations backed by him.
HfHR has worked with groups including the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) on campaigns concerning India. These campaigns promote narratives favourable to Pakistan and hostile to the Indian government.
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