Overview
- HHS announced a formal administrative review after sending June 9 letters to the governors of California and Washington that said the department received information raising concerns about CAIR’s business practices and possible links to the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas.
- HHS cited audit and state records tracing roughly $27 million to $36.45 million in Office of Refugee Resettlement subgrants to CAIR-California and about $1.3 million traced to CAIR-Washington.
- A separate Justice Department Executive Office for Immigration Review probe opened in March 2025 after a complaint from the Intelligent Advocacy Network is continuing alongside the HHS review.
- CAIR rejects the allegations, says it operates only in the U.S., and maintains its grants funded legal and resettlement services for Afghan nationals including representation for more than 1,800 people in California.
- Republican lawmakers led by Rep. Chip Roy pressed HHS to act and state officials have already taken hostile steps against CAIR, and a finding of violations could halt federal funding and prompt tighter scrutiny of how states subgrant refugee-assistance money.