Florida Governor, Ron DeSantis has signed into law a sweeping measure that bars state courts from applying foreign or religious laws, including Sharia law where they conflict with constitutional rights.
The legislation, known as HB 1471, also grants Florida new powers to independently designate and defund organisations it deems domestic terrorist groups.
DeSantis described the move at a press conference in Tampa as the “strongest action” taken by any state against both overt and “stealth jihad.”
Civil liberties advocates, the Council on American-Islamic Relations-Florida (CAIR) labelled the law “draconian,” warning it undermines free speech, religious liberty and due process.
Executive Director Hiba Rahim argued the bill was “agenda-driven” and that the governor’s office was reportedly drafting the legislation itself.
According to reports, the measure follows federal action earlier this year when the US Treasury and State Department designated branches of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and Jordan as terrorist organisations.
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HB 1471 seeks to embed those designations into Florida statute while giving the state its own authority to act independently.
At its core, the law prevents Florida courts from recognising foreign judgments or contracts that clash with constitutional protections.
Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins, a retired Green Beret, said Sharia law represents a “political code incompatible with the U.S. Constitution.”
Beyond the courts, the bill empowers the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to recommend domestic terrorist designations, imposes felony penalties for providing material support to such groups, and restricts state funds from being used by universities or schools to promote extremist activity.
Collins framed the legislation as a defence of Western values, citing his military service in Afghanistan and Iraq.
“I have personally seen women murdered for wanting an education. Today, Florida says no — not now, not ever,” he said.