Overview
- The House Judiciary subcommittee held a second “Sharia‑Free America” hearing Wednesday in Washington led by Rep. Chip Roy, with Republicans highlighting the East Plano Islamic Center project in Texas as an example of a supposed threat.
- Top Democrats said there is no evidence of any plot to impose Sharia in the United States, with Ranking Member Mary Gay Scanlon calling the event a manufactured election‑year alarm.
- Muslim advocacy groups including the Council on American‑Islamic Relations and the Muslim Public Affairs Council denounced the hearing as Islamophobic, and CAIR earlier designated the new caucus an anti‑Muslim hate group.
- Witnesses included a conservative activist and a Baptist religious‑liberty leader, and Amanda Tyler testified that separate anti‑Sharia laws are unnecessary and violate the First Amendment because U.S. criminal laws already bar acts like honor killings and child marriage.
- Roy introduced a bill to deny entry and immigration benefits to people who say they adhere to Sharia, but it remains in subcommittee as civil‑rights groups cite record 2025 complaints of anti‑Muslim bias and warn heated rhetoric can fuel harassment in daily life.