US administration launches federal probe into Muslim housing development in Texas
The US Department of Justice has launched a federal civil rights investigation into a planned Muslim-friendly housing development in Texas, according to Republican Senator John Cornyn.
Cornyn requested a federal investigation into the housing development, citing concerns about 'religious discrimination' and 'sharia law' in Texas. He announced in a post on X on Friday that attorney general Pam Bondi had notified him that an investigation was launched on 9 May.
'Attorney General Pam Bondi] notified me that [Department of Justice] is opening an investigation in response to my request into the proposed EPIC City development in North TX. Religious discrimination and Sharia Law have no home in Texas. Any violations of federal law must be swiftly prosecuted, and I know under [President Trump's] administration, they will be.
The maelstrom around the proposed housing development did not start with Cornyn and may be part of a political campaign to win voters.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott launched the initial salvo in February when he posted on X: "Sharia law is not allowed in Texas."
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His post came shortly after Amy Mekelburg, a far-right agitator known for spreading anti-Muslim disinformation, falsely labelled the proposed development a "Sharia City".
Abbott amplified the message, characterising Muslim families building homes as a threat to be taken seriously.
A month later, on 25 March, Texas attorney general Ken Paxton followed suit, launching a formal investigation into the development dubbed "Epic City" and demanding records from its developers and local officials.
Though framed as a routine legal step, the inquiry targeted supposed violations of state law, despite no evidence of illegality or any attempt to establish a parallel legal system. That did not stop Texas officials from invoking national security language to criminalise what is, in essence, a housing development.
Shortly after, Abbott escalated matters further, instructing the developers to confirm within seven days that they would immediately cease any construction of their "illegal project".
Two weeks later, on 8 April, Paxton announced his bid to unseat Cornyn. The very next day, Cornyn called on the Department of Justice to investigate the project, echoing the same narrative of preventing "religious discrimination".
Both men seized on the same Muslim-led housing project to outflank each other in a hardline race to the right, with the presence of Muslims being portrayed not as a right to be protected, but as a threat to be investigated, critics say.
What is Epic City?
The proposed housing development in question is being spearheaded by the East Plano Islamic Center (Epic), a mosque 30 miles northeast of Dallas.
The development would include hundreds of homes, a faith-based school, a community college, and assisted living for the elderly.
Epic describes itself on its website as 'a multi-ethnic, multi-racial, multi-lingual, non-sectarian, diverse, and open community committed to full and equal participation and involvement of men and women'.
Dan Cogdell, an attorney for Epic City who defended Paxton in his 2023 impeachment trial when he was acquitted by the state senate, told NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth that the developers have 'done nothing illegal and we will cooperate fully with all investigations - regardless of how misguided and unnecessary they are.'
The state investigations include whether the development is violating financial and fair housing laws and whether the mosque has conducted illegal funerals.
Cogdell has said there would not be this much concern if the development were planned around a church or temple.
The attacks on the project about Islamic law and other claims 'are not only completely without merit and totally misleading, but they are dangerous as well,' Cogdell said Friday. 'These folks are US citizens, law-abiding and Texans,' NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth reported.
The Justice Department did not respond to a request for comment or confirm Cornyn's announcement by the time of publication.
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