DeSantis Urges Florida Ban on First-Cousin Marriages, Linking Practice to ‘Stealth Jihad’
At an April 7, 2026 bill-signing event in Tampa, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called on the legislature to explicitly ban marriages between first cousins, saying Florida is "behind" other red states and claiming such unions feed into what he called "stealth jihad" from "other cultures." Florida currently bans marriage among closer relatives but not first cousins; a 2025 bill (HB 733) to close that gap failed, and DeSantis has been hinting on X that he wants the measure revived, possibly even in a special session. Supporters of a ban cite genetic-disorder risks, while critics frame it as a matter of personal liberty and warn that the governor’s rhetoric targets Muslim and immigrant communities by tying a family-law change to terrorism and immigration. DeSantis made the comments while signing a separate law empowering Florida’s chief of domestic security, the governor and cabinet to designate organizations they deem extremist as "terrorist organizations" and expel students who support them, part of a broader push to "stop importing people that reject the values of this country." His remarks are already drawing sharp online reaction, with civil-liberties advocates and Muslim groups warning of culture-war legislation dressed up as counterterrorism and conservatives touting Florida as a model for tightening both marriage and immigration rules.
📌 Key Facts
- On April 7, 2026, Gov. Ron DeSantis in Tampa urged Florida lawmakers to ban first-cousin marriages, calling the current legality a "hanging curveball" the state needs to fix.
- DeSantis explicitly linked cousin marriages to "stealth jihad" and "other cultures" he said are inconsistent with U.S. and Florida values, tying the issue to immigration and terrorism.
- His push follows the failure of 2025 bill HB 733, which would have added first cousins to Florida’s prohibited marriage list beginning July 1, and comes alongside a new state law letting top officials designate groups as terrorist organizations and expel students who support them.
- Florida already bans marriages between siblings, parents, grandparents, nieces and nephews, but not first cousins, unlike most U.S. states.
- DeSantis suggested he could seek to add a cousin-marriage ban in upcoming legislative action or a special session, calling it an "important" issue for American culture and immigration law.
📊 Relevant Data
In the United States, the overall rate of first-cousin marriages is estimated at 0.2% based on genealogical data, but rates are higher among certain immigrant populations from regions where consanguineous marriages are common.
Health Effects of Cousin Marriage: Evidence from US Genealogical Records — ResearchGate
In Middle Eastern countries, first-cousin marriage rates range from 29% in Egypt to nearly 58% in Saudi Arabia, and global data indicate that over 20-50% of marriages in many Muslim-majority countries are consanguineous.
Cousin marriage in the Middle East — Wikipedia
Children of first-cousin marriages have a 6% risk of inheriting a recessive genetic disorder, compared to 3% in the general population, according to recent UK studies that may apply to similar US contexts.
Cousin marriage: The new evidence about children's ill health — BBC
Marrying a first cousin is associated with more than a two-year reduction in life expectancy at age 5, based on US genealogical records.
Health Effects of Cousin Marriage: Evidence from US Genealogical Records — ResearchGate
Florida's population growth is largely driven by international immigration, with nine out of ten new residents from overseas in the year ending July 2025, contributing to demographic shifts.
Florida relied on immigration for almost all of its population growth last year — WLRN
Mass immigration from the Middle East to the US has been driven by wars, economic instability, and US refugee policies, such as the Refugee Relief Act of 1953 and ongoing programs for conflict-affected regions.
Middle Eastern and North African Immigrants in the United States — Migration Policy Institute
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