Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has enacted legislation granting state officials the authority to label organizations as “terrorist” entities, enabling their forced dissolution and the expulsion of students who support them. This move has drawn criticism from civil rights advocates who argue it poses a threat to free speech.
The new law permits the state’s Secretary of Homeland Security, the governor, and the cabinet to classify any organization as “terrorist” if deemed involved in extremist activities. Following such a designation, the organization may be disbanded and its state funding frozen. Additionally, students promoting any designated domestic or foreign terrorist organization are subject to expulsion from their educational institutions. DeSantis, a Republican who has governed the state since 2019 and is a contender in the 2024 presidential primaries, signed the law on April 6.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a prominent Muslim civil rights organization in the U.S., has criticized the law as “draconian” and unconstitutional. Last year, DeSantis had previously labeled CAIR as a “foreign terrorist organization,” a decision CAIR contested in court, resulting in a judge blocking the order.
PEN America, a free expression advocacy group, expressed concerns that the law could inhibit free speech by creating unprecedented pressure on individuals to avoid expressing, organizing, or engaging with certain viewpoints.
In November, Texas also designated CAIR as a terrorist organization, accusing it of connections to extremists. CAIR has challenged this classification as well, rejecting the allegations.
Legal scholars Darryl Li from the University of Chicago and Shirin Sinnar from Stanford University co-authored an article in February warning that the efforts in Texas and Florida to impose such designations could pave the way for broader authoritarian measures.
The Trump administration, along with several Republican-led states, previously implemented stringent actions against leftist organizations and pro-Palestinian groups, labeling them as extremist, anti-Semitic, and anti-American. These groups have denied the accusations, asserting that the actions infringe upon free speech and due process rights. They argue that authorities conflate pro-Palestinian activism with support for extremism and equate criticism of Israeli military actions with anti-Semitism.
Attempts by Trump to deport certain protesters and freeze funding for universities where protests occurred faced legal challenges. William Johnson, the Florida director of PEN America, stated that the law “opens the door to punishing Florida students for constitutionally protected speech.” DeSantis, however, frames the legislation as a means to combat extremism and enhance accountability within the education system.
Florida's new law allows officials to designate organizations as terrorist entities, raising concerns about its implications for free speech. Critics argue it could lead to the suppression of dissenting views in educational settings.