Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a measure into law Monday granting him and other state leaders the authority to designate groups as domestic or foreign terrorist organizations and to expel state university students who support them.
New Law Authorizes Terrorist Designations, Student Expulsions
The law, which has drawn criticism from free speech advocates, allows a top official at the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to designate a group as a terrorist organization, subject to approval or rejection by the governor and three other members of the Florida Cabinet. The Cabinet consists of the state attorney general, chief financial officer, and agriculture commissioner.
Designated groups can be dissolved and will be ineligible for state funding through school districts or state agencies. Universities will also be required to report the status of expelled students attending on visas to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“So this will help the state of Florida protect you. It’ll help us protect your tax dollars,” DeSantis said at a news conference in Tampa. “It’ll help us protect things that should not be happening in the United States of America, but certainly shouldn’t be happening in the free state of Florida.”
In December, DeSantis designated the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist organizations. A federal judge temporarily blocked enforcement of that executive order last month.
PEN America, a free speech advocacy group, expressed concern that the new law’s vague language could restrict education programs deemed to be “promoting” terrorism and could target student protesters who criticize Florida officials.
William Johnson, PEN America’s Florida director, said the new law “could chill education at every level,” adding that “the implications are fraught.”
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