CAIR, CAIR-TX Urge DOJ to Reject Sen. Cornyn’s “Baseless Call for Witch Hunt” into Texas Muslim Community
Muslim civil rights and advocacy group says DOJ should investigate Texas officials for discrimination against Muslims
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, and its Dallas/Fort Worth chapter (CAIR-TX, DFW), today announced they have sent a joint letter to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) urging the Civil Rights Division to reject a request by Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) to investigate a proposed Muslim community development project and instead open a civil rights investigation into the State of Texas for its unconstitutional targeting of Muslim communities.
In their letter, CAIR and CAIR-TX, DFW strongly condemned Senator Cornyn’s April 11 request that the DOJ investigate East Plano Islamic Center’s (EPIC) planned “EPIC Ranches City” residential and community development in Josephine, Texas. The letter describes Cornyn’s request as a baseless and bigoted effort to stigmatize Muslim civic engagement and religious expression.
READ THE LETTER: CLICK HERE
Instead, CAIR and CAIR-TX, DFW are calling on the DOJ to investigate whether Texas Governor Greg Abbott, Attorney General Ken Paxton, and other state officials have violated the constitutional rights of Muslims in Texas through zoning harassment, discriminatory enforcement, and politically motivated intimidation. These actions raise serious concerns under the First and Fourteenth Amendments, as well as the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA).
“The EPIC Ranches project is a transparent, inclusive initiative to provide affordable housing and community services to families of all backgrounds,” said CAIR-TX, DFW Executive Director Mustafaa Carroll. “It is shameful that Senator Cornyn is trying to harm Texas Muslims by urging the DOJ to let Governor Abbott and Attorney General Paxton abuse the regulatory process to intimidate and suppress our community’s religious rights.”
“Senator Cornyn’s request is not only factually baseless. It weaponizes tired Islamophobic tropes to portray a peaceful, inclusive development project as suspicious simply because it is Muslim-led,” said CAIR Government Affairs Department Director Robert S. McCaw. “Rather than targeting Muslim charities working to build family-centered communities, the Department of Justice should investigate Texas officials who appear to be violating the Constitution by singling out Muslims for political gain.”
The EPIC Ranches City development is intended to be a family-oriented, multi-use community that includes homes, schools, and commercial space. It welcomes people of all backgrounds and reflects similar religious-led developments by other faith groups across the country. CAIR and CAIR-TX, DFW note that Christian and Jewish developments routinely proceed without such scrutiny or suspicion.
In their letter to DOJ Attorney General Pam Bondi and Civil Rights Division Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, CAIR and CAIR-TX, DFW urged the Department to:
- Reject Senator Cornyn’s unfounded request for an investigation into EPIC; and
- Launch a Civil Rights Division investigation into whether Texas state officials have violated the rights of Muslims through discriminatory zoning, regulatory harassment, and other unconstitutional actions.
Last week, CAIR TX-DFW join North Texas religious leaders in the Muslim, Jewish, and Christian communities to condemn recent and ongoing attacks against Muslim community developments in North Texas.
SEE: Multifaith community leaders condemn EPIC City probes at North Texas news conference
Last month, CAIR released its 2025 Civil Rights Report “Unconstitutional Crackdowns,” which reveals that Islamophobia continues to be at an all-time high across the country. CAIR said viewpoint discrimination against those speaking out against genocide and apartheid was a key factor in many cases.
The shared mission of CAIR and CAIR-Texas is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: CAIR-DFW Executive Director Mustafaa Carroll, 469-200-0273, mcarroll@cair.com; CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com
