The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, and its Dallas/Fort Worth chapter (CAIR-DFW) today welcomed an announcement by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) that it has dropped an investigation of a proposed Muslim community development project in that state.

“We welcome the dropping of this investigation and hope the DOJ’s actions send a clear message to the governor and other officials in Texas that they should similarly drop their Islamophobic witch hunt targeting Muslims in that state,” said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad. “Elected officials should respect the Constitution and serve all state residents instead of abusing their authority to discriminate against Muslims.”

He noted that CAIR previously called on the DOJ to reject the state request for that investigation.

According to the Dallas Morning News:

“Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon wrote in a June 13 letter to development group Community Capital Partners that the probe was ending. The DOJ did not bring any lawsuits or charges forward.

“Attempts to contact the DOJ before publication were not returned. A copy of the letter was provided to The Dallas Morning News by Community Capital Partners.

“’CCP has affirmed that all will be welcome in any future development, and that you plan to revise and develop marketing materials to reinforce that message consistent with your obligations under the Fair Housing Act,’ the letter reads. ‘Based on this information, the Department is closing its investigation at this time.’

“Community Capital Partners hopes to build more than 1,000 homes, a K-12 faith-based school, a mosque, elderly and assisted living, apartments, clinics, retail shops, a community college, and sports fields on 402 acres in Collin and Hunt counties.”

BACKGROUNDER:

Earlier this year, CAIR and CAIR-Texas, DFW 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 the 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 described Cornyn’s request as a baseless and bigoted effort to stigmatize Muslim civic engagement and religious expression.

Instead, CAIR and CAIR-TX, DFW called 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 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:

1. Reject Senator Cornyn’s unfounded request for an investigation into EPIC; and
2. 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.

CAIR TX-DFW joined 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

Earlier this year, 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.

END

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