Gov. Abbott confirms ‘no construction taking place’
The U.S. Department of Justice has opened an investigation into a proposed Muslim community development in North Texas, citing concerns over potential violations of federal law.
The investigation targets EPIC City, a 402-acre project backed by the East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC) in Josephine, Texas, about 40 miles northeast of Dallas. The planned development — which includes over 1,000 homes, a mosque, a K-12 faith-based school, clinics, retail shops, a community college and sports facilities — has sparked controversy among Texas Republican leaders.
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott, Attorney General Ken Paxton and conservative activists have claimed that the project aims to create a Muslim-only community governed by Islamic law, allegations which both EPIC officials and Islamic leaders have denounced.
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“I am grateful to Attorney General Bondi and the Department of Justice for hearing my concerns and opening an investigation into the proposed EPIC City development,” Cornyn announced Friday. “Religious discrimination and Sharia Law have no place in the Lone Star State.”
In response to the investigation, Dan Cogdell, the attorney for EPIC, said the mosque would “cooperate fully with any and all investigations — regardless of how misguided and unnecessary they are.”
Within hours of the DOJ investigation being announced, Gov. Abbott confirmed Sunday evening that “no construction” is taking place on the proposed site in Josephine.
“Texas has halted any construction of EPIC City. There is no construction taking place. The state of Texas has launched about a half dozen investigations into this project. That includes criminal investigations,” Abbott wrote on X. “And, the US Department of justice is also investigating. This matter, and similar matters, are taken very seriously, and actions are being taken to address all concerns.”
Last month, in a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi and Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon, Cornyn urged the DOJ to investigate EPIC for its plans to build a “community of thousands of Muslims” known as EPIC Ranches City.
The 73-year-old senator described the project’s scope as a “thriving ecosystem” of thousands of homes, a mosque, a private Islamic school, commercial developments, a community college and sports facilities. He expressed concern over statements from Community Capital Partners, EPIC’s for-profit affiliate, suggesting that home sales would be restricted to buyers who “contribute to the overall makeup of [the] community.” Although the developer later revised this language following inquiries from The Dallas Morning News, Cornyn called the changes “stealth edits” that “create an impression of potential discrimination.”
He suggested that EPIC might be attempting to create an “exclusive religious settlement” governed by Islamic principles, potentially violating federal prohibitions on religious-based discrimination. Cornyn also called for an investigation into whether the project adheres to laws banning the enforcement of Sharia law, stating, “Appropriate steps should be taken to ensure that this community does not run afoul of these obligations.”
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), which labeled Cornyn’s request “baseless and bigoted,” urged the department last month to reject Cornyn’s call for an investigation and instead investigate Texas officials for allegedly violating Muslims’ constitutional rights through “zoning harassment, discriminatory enforcement, and politically motivated intimidation.”
CAIR-TX, DFW Executive Director Mustafaa Carroll, defended the EPIC project as “a transparent, inclusive initiative to provide affordable housing and community services to families of all backgrounds.” He accused Cornyn of enabling Abbott and Paxton to “abuse the regulatory process to intimidate and suppress our community’s religious rights.”
CAIR’s Robert S. McCaw added, “Senator Cornyn’s request is not only factually baseless. It weaponizes tired Islamophobic tropes to portray a peaceful, inclusive development project as suspicious simply because it is Muslim-led.”
