Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act of 2025
Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act of 2025 would require the President to designate the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) and to designate MB branches as terrorist organizations, if warranted. The bill expands the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1987 to treat MB and its branches (including Hamas, described as a MB branch in the bill’s findings) as terrorist entities alongside the PLO. It mandates annual and near-term reporting by the State Department on MB branches and their designation status, and it imposes sanctions on MB and its branches (including FTO designation and other sanctions under Executive Order 13224). The bill also imposes immigration-related restrictions on MB members, restricting visas and admission or parole for individuals determined to be MB members. Overall, if enacted, the legislation would broaden U.S. tools to designate and potentially block MB-related entities and individuals, and would require ongoing Congress oversight through annual reports. Key features include: expanding the list of targets to include the MB and its branches, mandating annual State Department reporting on MB activities and designation status, imposing FTO and other sanctions on MB branches, and creating mandatory visa/ineligibility provisions for MB members. The bill also formalizes a process to designate MB branches within a defined set of jurisdictions and to maintain sanctions for an extended period after positive determinations.
Key Points
- 1Designation and sanctions scope
- 2- The bill would designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) and extend sanctions to MB branches, including those operating through organizations like Hamas. It also would designate MB branches under the same authorities used for other terrorist organizations (FTO designation under the Immigration and Nationality Act and Specially Designated Global Terrorist status under Executive Order 13224).
- 3Expanded prohibitions and immigration actions
- 4- It adds MB-related prohibitions to existing U.S. terror-related laws, expands the set of entities treated as terrorist organizations alongside the PLO, and creates mandatory immigration restrictions for MB members (visa ineligibility and revocation of existing visas) based on credible evidence of MB membership.
- 5Annual reporting and ongoing designation process
- 6- The Secretary of State must provide an annual, unclassified (with possible classified annex) report to relevant congressional committees detailing MB branches, their designation status under applicable authorities, and whether they meet designation criteria. Reports trigger potential sanctions for those branches.
- 7Criteria and definitions
- 8- The bill defines “Muslim Brotherhood,” “Muslim Brotherhood branch,” and “Muslim Brotherhood member,” and includes a long list of jurisdictions where MB branches might operate, including several Middle Eastern, European, and other countries identified by the State Department.
- 9Sanctions mechanism and duration
- 10- If a MB branch is identified as meeting designation criteria, the President must impose sanctions (FTO designation and EO 13224-based sanctions). If designated, those sanctions for a given branch cannot be removed for a four-year minimum. The process includes a 90-day window after enactment to impose initial sanctions and a 30-day window after each annual report to apply sanctions to qualifying branches.
- 11Structural changes to law
- 12- The bill would amend sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1987 (ATA) to incorporate MB into existing prohibitions and processes alongside the PLO, and adds a new section (1006) creating mandatory ineligibility for MB members under specified immigration provisions.