The proclamation, filed with the Secretary of State on Nov. 18, 2025, subjects both organizations and their affiliates to state penalties, including the prohibition from purchasing or acquiring land within Texas.
The designation uses authority under the Texas Penal Code and Texas Property Code.
As Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs), the groups and anyone who promotes or aids their criminal activities are subject to heightened penalties authorized by the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code.
As Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs), the organizations and their affiliates are prohibited from purchasing or acquiring land in Texas under Chapter 5 of the Texas Property Code. The Proclamation states that violating this law would require divestiture of the real property and could lead to criminal and civil penalties.
In September of this year, Governor Abbott ceremonially signed House Bill 4211 into law to ban residential property developments, like EPIC City, from creating Sharia compounds and defrauding and discriminating against Texans.
"One of the issues at stake is the freedom of religion," said Governor Abbott. “Another issue at stake is what’s called the right to contract. The fact is, religious freedom is a central part of the Texas Constitution. But bad actors like EPIC and EPIC City tried to use religion as a form of segregation. We will ensure that we have the laws and law enforcement in place to prevent attempts to build such discriminatory compounds in the state of Texas."
During his remarks, Governor Abbott explained how those behind EPIC City sought to create an entire “city” open only to Muslims, subject anyone who lives there to Sharia law, and restrict a landowner’s ability to later sell property. The Governor also noted that the legislation he signed into law preserves religious freedom, a bedrock value of our great state, while also protecting against efforts to forcibly impose Sharia law onto Texans.
