Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton recently issued a Civil Investigative Demand (CID) as part of an ongoing investigation into a real estate development that is intended to house the North Texas Muslim community, according to North Texas outlet KeraNews.
The development is tied to a mosque, known as the East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC). Paxton issued the CID to Community Capital Partners (CCP), an EPIC corporate entity. KeraNews reported that the development, known as EPIC City, “includes a new mosque, more than 1,000 single and multi-family homes, a K-12 faith-based school, senior housing, an outreach center, commercial developments, sports facilities, and a community college.”
EPIC City has been accused of promoting Sharia law in violation of Texas state law, most notably by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in a March 24 X post.
“The proposed EPIC compound in Collin Co. has serious legal issues,” Abbott posted. “A dozen state agencies are investigating it, the Attorney General will look into it, and legislators are considering laws to restrict it, as well as laws to prevent foreign adversaries from buying land in Texas.”
Republican state Rep. Jeff Leach also expressed concern over Sharia law potentially being incorporated into EPIC City, sending a letter to Paxton in late February to request an investigation.
A March 25 news release from Paxton’s office stated that the CID is related to an investigation into “ potential violations of Texas consumer protection laws.”
“Under my watch, there will be zero tolerance for any person or entity that breaks Texas law,” Paxton stated in the news release. “My office has an open and ongoing investigation into EPIC City, which has raised a number of concerns, and this CID will help ensure that any potential violation of state law is uncovered.”
While some worry about the Muslim development from a legal point of view, others contend that regulations of Muslims at the national level constitute xenophobia and discrimination. Arizona Rep. Yassamin Ansari, who comes from an Iranian immigrant family, wrote in an op-ed for Newsweek that travel bans between the U.S. and many heavily Muslim-populated countries are not only discriminatory but have negative impacts on trade, tourism, travel, and immigration.
She wrote, “Restricting travel from over 40 nations — many of which are our partners in trade and innovation — will disrupt supply chains, deter foreign investments, discourage U.S. employers from hiring foreign workers we desperately need, and strain diplomatic relationships on which our economic growth relies.”