Texas Border Business
AUSTIN – Governor Greg Abbott directed a review of all state grants to entities that operate airports in Texas, including Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), for possible revocation of active state grant funds and the denial of any future grants due to illegal religious discrimination at government-owned facilities. He also referred DFW and IAH to the U.S. Department of Transportation for investigation and enforcement.
DFW plans to install ablution facilities for Islamic washing rituals. IAH has already installed one such facility and an interconnecting prayer room.
In a letter to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Governor Abbott requested that the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration immediately review the religious facilities and accommodations at DFW and IAH and take appropriate corrective action. The airports are recipients of federal funds and subject to conditions that require full compliance with laws prohibiting religious discrimination.
“These ablution facilities appear designed to single out one subset of the population for special treatment based on religion. That is illegal,” said Governor Abbott. “Both airports are government-owned facilities. The federal and state constitutions prohibit government from facilitating this sort of discrimination. Just as the government cannot favor the secular over the sacred, it also cannot favor one religious view over all others.”
Upon acceptance of any grant award, recipients must certify compliance with all laws that prohibit discrimination.
Read the Governor’s letters here.
UPDATE 8-21-26:
Governor Abbott Refers Discriminatory Airport Religious Facilities To DOJ
AUSTIN – Governor Greg Abbott today referred discriminatory religious ablution facilities at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) to the U.S. Department of Justice for investigation and enforcement.
“These ablution stations single out one subset of the population for special treatment based on religion,” said Governor Abbott. “They are not interfaith chapels open to all. They exist to benefit the Muslim population alone. Government-owned airports cannot favor one religion over all others.”
In his letter, Governor Abbott called on the Department of Justice to immediately review these discriminatory facilities at DFW and IAH Airports and take appropriate corrective action. The federal government exercises primary authority over security and access within airport terminals. Because the airports receive federal funds, they are subject to numerous conditions attached to that funding—including the requirement to comply with all applicable laws prohibiting discrimination and protecting the rights of all Americans.
Both airports are government-owned facilities. Last week, Governor Abbott referred these airports to U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy for investigation. After this referral, DFW abandoned its plans to install additional ablution facilities for Islamic wudu washing rituals. Two such stations are already in operation at DFW. Separately, IAH has already installed one such facility and an interconnecting prayer room furnished with “copies of the Quran, prayer rugs, prayer beads and a turbah.”
Read the Governor’s letter here.
