How Texas’ Fight Against Islam Is Shaping the Future of the GOP

DALLAS—The rapid expansion of Texas’ Muslim population and Islamic institutions have captured the attention of conservatives beyond the Lone Star State. As Republicans met in Dallas for the Republican National Committee’s Midterm Convention, members of Congress, state lawmakers, and everyday Texans are sounding the alarm about Islamism and Sharia in the United States.

The controversy has prompted key figures such as U.S. Reps. Keith Self, Brandon Gill, and Chip Roy, as well as congressional candidate Brandon Hererra, to speak out on the issue.

At the Midterm Convention, elected officials and attendees told the Daily Signal that the rise of Islam in Texas could just be the beginning and merits a forceful response from American conservatives.

Texas Officials and Congress Weigh In 

At the convention, the Daily Signal caught up with state officials and congressional candidates to get their thoughts on the ongoing debate.

State Rep. Brian Harrison, who has been calling for a special session relating to Islamism, said that Texans are worried and the Texas Legislature needs to act.

“I think my constituents and Texans all across the state are very concerned, and it’s not even just an academic concern. They’re looking at photos and videos coming out of Europe and the United Kingdom, and they’re very concerned that that type of thing could happen here,” he said. “I actually think we shouldn’t wait till November. This is a threat this year, and we should deal with it right now.”

Harrison added that Texas lawmakers shouldn’t be doing “the bare minimum” when combatting the problem.

“We shouldn’t be funding organizations that have ties to organizations that call for the violent overthrow of Texas or the United States government. This is the bare minimum,” he said. “I’m very concerned about some of our grant programs, that potentially are going to those organizations in the state of Texas.” 

In Washington, D.C., Self and Roy, two conservative members of Congress, have also continued to raise concerns about Sharia law. 

Earlier this month, Self introduced a resolution titled “Denouncing Sharia Law in the United States,” which reaffirms that the “primary role of elected officials in the United States of America is to provide for the security and protection of its citizens as well as preserving the liberties provided to them by the Nation’s Founders.” 

Meanwhile, Roy sent a letter to several high-ranking federal officials asking them to look into a planned Islamic development being built near Camp Bullis Military Training Reservation in San Antonio. He asked officials to “examine whether any criminal, civil, financial, or immigration statutes have been violated in its effort to fulfill its campus expansion project.” 

Herrera, the Republican congressional candidate for District 23, which covers San Antonio, said the rise in Islam “should be a concern” for Texans. 

“If it’s not addressed, it’s something that continues to grow faster, and it completely changes the identity of the state,” he said. “You’re seeing that now in DFW [Dallas-Fort Worth] and where I live and where I’m going to represent, San Antonio to El Paso.” 

Herrera added that for a while it seemed to be “a Houston issue” or a “Dallas issue,” but now has spread throughout the state.

“Now it’s moving right into where we live. Right next to my area is Camp Bullis military installation,” he said. 

“It needs to be handled by the state Legislature and needs to be handled by local municipalities, and it needs to be handled by the federal government” Herrera said. “One of the things we need to prioritize is making sure we don’t import hordes of people who hate Western civilization.” 

Gill, along with Self, also has criticized Dallas Fort Worth International Airport’s plans to install wudu, or ablution stations in Terminal D. Self said the stations were not an accommodation but a “conquest.” 

Concerns raised by officials come as Islamic institutions continue to expand across the state, with new mosques, schools, and development projects drawing attention in communities across Texas.

Growth of Islam in Texas

The growth of Islam has accelerated significantly over the past three decades. In 1990, Texas had an estimated 140,000 Muslims, according to the Texas State Historical Association. More recent estimates now place the state’s Muslim population between 300,000 and 500,000.

As the Muslim population has grown, organizations and activists have sought to raise awareness about the implications.

Last month, the Daily Signal spoke with the Allied Special Intelligence Group, an organization that uses its knowledge of special operations military skills, counterintelligence, and human intelligence to educate and train citizens on how to “legally and lawfully delay, disrupt, dismantle, and remove Communists/Marxists and Terrorists networks” from communities, with the goal of protecting “our Constitutional Republic.”  

Two of the group’s operatives, John Bennett, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, and Matt Shea, who served as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army, created a presentation for Texas pastors on how to combat the Islamification of Texas. 

Bennett and Shea’s presentation argued that Islamists seek the destruction of Western civilization and that Sharia law is incompatible with the U.S. Constitution, including the First, Second, Fourth, Eighth, 13th, and 14th Amendments.  

The presentation also argued that the church is the main target for Islamists. Shea told the Daily Signal at the event, “The church is what conserves the values that have made this country great, and that’s why they want to attack it.” 

In addition to the presentation, pastors were also shown Chris Burgard’s film “Remember the Alamo: Don’t Sharia My Texas,” a documentary that argues that there is a coordinated effort to introduce Sharia law into American society, with Texas serving as the primary target. Throughout the documentary, speakers claim that Dallas has become the “Mecca of the West.”  

Research from the Allied Special Intelligence Group says there are at least 314 mosques operating in Texas. A social media post claimed that 48 mosques have opened in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in the past two years. Additionally, RAIR Foundation USA has also highlighted the rise in mosques and Islamic centers opening rapidly in the Lone Star State.  

One of the most controversial projects is the development associated with the East Plano Islamic Center, known as EPIC City. 

RAIR Foundation USA reported in 2025 that the Islamic center acquired 402 acres in Josephine for a planned development that would include 1,000 homes, a mosque, a private Islamic K-12 school, multifamily housing, a senior living community, parks, sports fields, and recreational spaces. 

Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office later said an investigation found evidence that entities connected to the development violated state and federal securities laws. Paxton’s office requested that the Texas State Securities Board review its findings and refer the matter back to the attorney general’s office for potential legal action.  

Additionally, Gov. Greg Abbott ordered that construction on the development may not begin as the legal issues surrounding the project continue.

Another controversial expansion project is in McKinney, where the City Council unanimously approved a mosque relocation project for the McKinney Islamic Association. 

The site is a 5-acre tract along Virginia Parkway near two residential neighborhoods and a high school. It would include a 37,000-square-foot facility with a mosque, educational spaces, a gymnasium, and meeting rooms. It will also be designed to accommodate 3,000 people. 

The approval has since sparked major debate within the community, with a recall petition effort underway targeting McKinney Mayor Bill Cox and council members Justin Beller, Geré Feltus, and Ernest Lynch.  

In Richardson, an Islamic academy purchased a former Korean Baptist church to convert it into a school, mosque, and seminary. 

RNC Convention Attendees Discuss Islam and Sharia 

While attending the convention, the Daily Signal asked attendees from Texas and across the country about their thoughts on the growing debate. 

One attendee, Roma Daravi, the vice president of public relations at The Kennedy Center, spoke freely about “radical Islam.” 

“Texas particularly has a massive problem when it comes to radical Islam. A lot of people don’t know, but there is a new mosque popping up in Texas every single week. Those numbers are astounding,” Daravi said. “In order to enforce our Judeo-Christian values, we have to make sure that we’re involved in our community, that we’re involved in our government, that we’re involved in our schools, what our children are learning.” 

Daravi said that there is a lot of worry that America could become the next United Kingdom, but she stressed that “it’s not too late.” 

Another attendee, who flew in from Georgia, told the Daily Signal that she doesn’t believe Islam will “have much of an effect on anything.” 

“I think that people in local communities will vote on that, and I’m not afraid of it. I think everybody has a right to believe in their own religion, and it will play out in politics,” she said. 

Meanwhile, another woman who moved to the United States from Europe warned that Islam is “not compatible with Western values.” 

“There’s no assimilation to it because these are two different cultures,” she said.

America, United States, European … they’re very different than certain cultures, and it’s just not compatible,” she added. “Once they’re in a country, it’s very, very difficult to get them out.” 

The female attendee added that securing the border and vetting people who enter the country is the best way to prevent Islamification. 

“I think that the first thing to prevent something like that to happen in the U.S. is to stop people even from entering that represent these values,” she said. 

The debate over Islamism and the growth of Islamic institutions is becoming increasingly important to grassroots activists and local communities across Texas, and elected officials and candidates are taking varying approaches to address the problem.

As Republicans look toward their upcoming elections and legislative sessions, how they handle Islamism and Sharia could shape the political conversation and landscape—not just in the Lone Star State, but across the country.

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