Campus Speech and Universities

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed HB 1471, creating a Florida process to designate "domestic terrorist organizations," bar them from receiving public funds, require public universities to lose state funding if they "support" a designated group and to expel students who promote such groups, and explicitly reaffirm that Florida courts cannot enforce foreign or religious law, including Sharia. DeSantis framed the measure as ensuring "not one red cent for jihad" and displayed anti‑Sharia signage at the signing, while the ACLU of Florida called the law "dangerous," warning it allows unilateral designations of individuals and organizations as domestic terrorists without meaningful standards or transparency.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday signed HB 1471, a law creating a state process for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to designate 'domestic terrorist organizations,' cut them off from public funding, and penalize public universities that support such groups. Standing behind a sign denouncing Sharia law, DeSantis said Florida would spend 'millions for public safety, millions for education, but never one red cent for jihad,' and the statute explicitly reaffirms that Florida courts cannot enforce any foreign or religious law, including Sharia. The measure requires state universities to forfeit public funds if they show support for an FDLE‑designated terrorist group and mandates expulsion of students who promote those organizations, echoing DeSantis’ broader efforts to tie higher‑education policy to national‑security and culture‑war themes in the wake of Oct. 7 and pro‑Palestinian campus protests. The ACLU of Florida blasted the law as 'dangerous,' arguing it lets the government unilaterally label individuals and organizations as domestic terrorists and trigger sweeping consequences without clear standards, transparency or constitutional guardrails, and legal scholars and civil‑liberties advocates on social media are already warning of prolonged First Amendment and due‑process battles over how the state defines 'support' and 'terrorism.'