Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation

Summary#

This bill would require the President to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a foreign terrorist organization and to impose related sanctions. It changes portions of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1987 to add findings about links between the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas, and to expand prohibitions to cover the Muslim Brotherhood and its affiliates. The bill directs the Secretary of State to submit an unclassified annual report (with an optional classified annex) identifying Muslim Brotherhood branches worldwide and saying whether each branch meets criteria for designation. The President must impose sanctions on the Muslim Brotherhood or any successor organization within 90 days of enactment. For branches that the report finds meet designation criteria, the President must impose specified designations and sanctions within 30 days of the report. Sanctions described include designation as a foreign terrorist organization under INA section 219(a) and measures under Executive Order 13224. The bill also adds mandatory visa, admission, and parole ineligibility and immediate revocation of current visas for any foreign person the President determines is a Muslim Brotherhood member. It defines terms such as "Muslim Brotherhood," "Muslim Brotherhood branch," "Muslim Brotherhood member," "foreign person," and "United States person," and lists many countries where branches may operate. The bill prevents removal of certain sanctions against a branch for at least four years after a report finds that branch meets designation criteria.

What it means for you#

• U.S. officials would be required to treat the Muslim Brotherhood itself and branches identified in the annual reports as subject to terrorist designations and related sanctions.
• Individuals the President determines are Muslim Brotherhood members would be ineligible for U.S. visas, admission, or parole, and could have current visas revoked.
• Organizations identified as branches could be designated as foreign terrorist organizations and face asset-blocking and transaction prohibitions under Executive Order 13224.
• The Secretary of State would publish an annual, unclassified report listing branches and determinations; that report may include a classified annex.
• The bill’s definitions cover many countries and include entities and individuals, and they define who counts as a United States person.

Expenses#

No publicly available information.

Proponents' View#

The bill’s text includes specific findings used by its sponsors: it states that Hamas is a Muslim Brotherhood branch (citing Hamas's charter and a National Counterterrorism Center guide), notes Hamas is already designated a foreign terrorist organization, references the October 7, 2023 attacks that harmed U.S. citizens, and states that the Muslim Brotherhood provides political support, finances, training, and other assistance to branches and has sought to destabilize some Middle East governments. These findings are presented in support of the bill’s requirements for designation and sanctions.

Opponents' View#

No publicly available information.