Muslim civil rights and advocacy group calls on community to mobilize for binding guardrails
(AUSTIN, TX, 5/6/2026) – The Texas chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Texas), a chapter of the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed the removal of specific target industries, including mass-surveillance AI and defense technology, from the City of Austin’s Economic Development Resolution (EDR) ahead of the May 7th Austin City Council meeting and vote and called on the Austin community to mobilize to ensure ironclad guardrails are included in the subsequent ordinance.
Following community mobilization by a broad coalition involving the Austin for Palestine Coalition, VOCAL Texas, Democratic Socialists of America, the Palestinian Youth Movement Central Texas, Jewish Voice for Peace, and CAIR-Texas, to name a few, the City of Austin released a revised version of the resolution that officially strikes “Defense” and “AI” as named priorities for taxpayer-funded incentives. CAIR-Texas’ advocacy is rooted in 2026 national data showing that civil rights violations increasingly occur through “digital dragnets” and surveillance, which disproportionately impact Muslim, Black, and Brown communities through automated profiling.
SEE: CAIR’s 2026 Civil Rights Report: The Right to be Different
In a statement, CAIR-Texas said:
“We welcome the decision to remove harmful surveillance and defense industries from the city’s priorities. Surveillance technology is not a neutral tool; CAIR research has documented how such methods are used to weaken rights in practice and treat community members as suspicious and outside the circle of protected life. By subsidizing these industries, the city risks creating a ‘chilling effect’ that intentionally suppresses the rights to freedom of speech and peaceful assembly.
“While we celebrate this shift in vision, we are now advocating for the contract. The upcoming ordinance is where the law is made. We must secure explicit guardrails that leave no room for back-door deals with companies that fuel genocide or mass surveillance.”
CAIR’s 2026 report documented a record-breaking 8,683 civil rights complaints nationwide in 2025, the highest single-year total since tracking began in 1996. This data highlights a systemic trend where equal protection increasingly requires active defense against government behavior that treats marginalized groups as suspicious. Factual assessments show that government-coordinated surveillance is used to “intentionally chill” constitutional rights, specifically affecting the safety and dignity of community members in public spaces.
SEE: CAIR’s 2026 Civil Rights Report: The Right to be Different
COMMUNITY CALL TO ACTION
The City Council hearing on Item 24 is scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday, May 7th.
- Testify at the Meeting: Community members who have already signed up to testify are strongly encouraged to attend and share their perspectives on the importance of ethical investment guardrails.
- Review the Revised Resolution: Residents can access the updated resolution language here: https://www.austincouncilforum.org/viewtopic.php?t=2246
- Email the Mayor and Council: Community members are encouraged to urge their representatives to include explicit guardrails in the final ordinance. An action tool is available here: https://secure.ngpvan.com/AIvXX6hHG0OVB2_hoFVq1A2
- Document Opposition: The public is invited to visit the community action document to record stances against subsidized surveillance: tinyurl.com/AustinNoAI
CAIR-Texas’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR-Texas es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: Sameeha Rizvi, CAIR-Texas Civic Engagement Organizer, 512-893-1371, srizvi@cair.com; Shaimaa Zayan, CAIR-Texas Austin Operations Manager, 512-785-7105, szayan@cair.com