Texas Declares War on 'Islamisation': What Is Happening in the US?

Texas has become the new front line in the identity politics war in the United States. Under the leadership of Governor Greg Abbott, the state with the largest Republican Party base has launched a series of policies to halt what they call the ‘Islamification of Texas’. Over the past 18 months, the Texas government has taken a number of steps targeting Muslim institutions and organisations. It all began in February 2025 when Abbott labelled a proposed housing project by the East Plano Islamic Center as an example of ‘sharia cities’. Subsequently, more than a dozen state government agencies opened investigations into the project. In November 2025, Abbott also designated the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)—the largest Muslim civil rights advocacy organisation in the US—as a ‘foreign terrorist organisation’ under state policy and banned the organisation from purchasing land in Texas. A few months later, Islamic schools were also excluded from the new education voucher programme. Now, the Texas Republican Party has placed the slogan ‘Stop the Islamification of Texas’ as their number two legislative priority. If after the tragedy of 11 September 2001 anti-Islam sentiment was more associated with the threat of terrorism, the narrative has now shifted. The focus is no longer on threats from abroad, but rather on the fear that American identity is changing from within. Among conservatives, support for the idea of Christian nationalism is strengthening. This idea places Christian values as the foundation of national life in America. Earlier this year, Abbott even stated that ‘the United States was founded as a Christian nation.’ Similar views have also been voiced by a number of Republican figures, including Vice President J.D. Vance, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, and conservative activist Charlie Kirk before his death in 2025. According to the Centre for the Study of Organised Hate, over 13 months up to March 2026, there were 1,111 anti-Muslim posts made by 46 Republican officials, roughly 15 times more than the previous period. Many of these depicted Islam as a threat to American identity. Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville, for instance, shared a post linking the Muslim mayor of New York to the 11 September attacks. Meanwhile, Tennessee Congressman Andy Ogles publicly stated that ‘Muslims have no place in American society.’ President Donald Trump has also frequently used European cities like Paris and London as examples of places he claims have been changed by immigration and the growth of sharia law. A number of Republican members of Congress are now proposing various bills related to sharia. Texas Congressman Chip Roy proposed a ban on entry for foreign nationals deemed to practice sharia law, while Florida Congressman Randy Fine introduced a bill purportedly to protect America from sharia influence. Texas has gone even further. Besides limiting funding for organisations considered to have loyalty to foreign legal systems, the state government has also changed the education curriculum. Lesson materials on the core beliefs of Islam have been replaced with discussions on the concept of jihad and Islamic expansion in history. At the same time, schools are required to provide more material from the Bible. Abbott’s policies have drawn sharp criticism from civil rights groups. CAIR assesses that the policies have shifted from mere Islamophobia to a form of persecution against religious freedom. On the other hand, supporters of the policies argue that the threat of Islamic extremism remains real and must be confronted through policy changes. A number of Texas’s measures have also faced opposition in court. A judge blocked the government’s attempt to remove Islamic schools from the education voucher programme and allowed a religious discrimination lawsuit filed by the East Plano Islamic Center to proceed. A federal judge even stated there was no evidence that the mosque intended to implement sharia law in Texas. Despite this, the agenda is not expected to stop. Texas legislators are scheduled to reconvene next January and are expected to continue various policies campaigned for by Abbott. This phenomenon is also beginning to attract the attention of other states. A number of Republican politicians assess that the issue of ‘Islam in America’ has now become a primary concern for conservative voters, even considered more important than the issues of abortion or gun rights. Although the issue of religious identity is increasingly appearing in US politics, the religious composition of the country’s population has remained relatively unchanged over the past year. Based on the 2025 PRRI Census of American Religion, about 66% of Americans still identify as Christian. Of that number, 41% are white Christians, while 25% are Christians from other racial and ethnic groups. Meanwhile, about 28% of the US population is religiously unaffiliated, and another 6% adhere to non-Christian religions, including Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and others. This composition has barely changed compared to 2024. Looking at the long term, America’s religious landscape has shifted. In 2013, white Christians still made up 46% of the population, but the figure dropped to 41% by 2025. Conversely, the group of religiously unaffiliated residents has continued to grow, from 21% in 2013 to 28% in 2025.