• Texas halted the Muslim-led East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC) City project and launched multiple investigations, drawing national attention.
• Supporters say Christian, Jewish, and Amish communities build faith-based towns without issue, calling the backlash discriminatory.
The U.S. Department of Justice has launched a federal civil rights investigation into a proposed Muslim-centered development near Dallas, Texas—escalating a heated battle over religious freedom, Islamophobia, and political power plays in the Lone Star State.
The project, called EPIC City, is a 402-acre development led by the East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC). Planned for Collin and Hunt counties, it would include over 1,000 homes, a mosque, a faith-based school, a community college, senior housing, and athletic facilities. Though the project is grounded in Islamic values, its developers emphasize that it is open to people of all faiths and that Sharia law will not be implemented.
Despite this, the project has become a lightning rod for controversy.
Governor Greg Abbott posted a series of tweets criticizing the EPIC City project and justifying state action against it. On March 26, he claimed that investigators were “uncovering legal violations by EPIC City that go far beyond what people realize” and asserted that the proposed community “will never see the light of day.” Days later, on April 4, Abbott doubled down, declaring that “Sharia law is not allowed in Texas.” Finally, in a tweet posted May 11, he announced that the state had halted all construction, citing “about a half dozen investigations,” including criminal probes.
The state has also issued a cease-and-desist letter to EPIC for allegedly conducting unlicensed funeral services. Additionally, Attorney General Ken Paxton has issued a Civil Investigative Demand to Community Capital Partners, the entity formed by EPIC to manage the project.
Texas Senator John Cornyn praised the Justice Department’s response to his formal request to open a federal investigation, claiming the project may involve “religious discrimination” and a covert attempt to introduce Sharia law.
“Religious discrimination and Sharia law have no place in the Lone Star State,” said Senator John Cornyn. “I am grateful to Attorney General Bondi and the Department of Justice for taking my concerns seriously and opening an investigation into the proposed EPIC City development.”
Though no formal planning application for EPIC City has yet been submitted, the aggressive state and federal actions have effectively frozen development—despite no official ruling of wrongdoing.
Supporters of EPIC City argue that religiously inspired communities are not new to America. Across the country, Christian retirement villages, Orthodox Jewish enclaves, and Amish settlements have existed for generations without drawing state-level investigations or national condemnation. Critics say the backlash against EPIC City reveals a double standard when the community in question is Muslim.
In response to the mounting political attacks, EPIC’s attorney, Dan Cogdell, defended the project in a News Nation interview, calling Governor Abbott’s claims “lies” and asserting that the investigations are rooted in religious bias rather than legal merit.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and other civil rights groups have forcefully condemned the investigations. Mustafaa Carroll, CAIR Texas Executive Director, said:
“Governor Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton have chosen to abuse their power by launching groundless ‘investigations’ against EPIC. Instead of acting like public servants, they’ve chosen to add fuel to the fire by disseminating hateful misinformation.”
The East Plano Islamic Center also released a statement on Facebook, revealing that mosque leaders have been receiving hate calls and death threats.
Their personal addresses have reportedly been leaked, placing families in danger.
The future of EPIC City remains uncertain. With no formal planning application submitted and intense political scrutiny at both state and federal levels, the project’s fate hangs in the balance.
However, the broader implications are already clear: this battle is no longer just about zoning and land use. It is about what it means to be Muslim in America, and whether the promise of religious freedom truly applies to all communities.
