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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Sunday announced that state officials have stopped the construction of Muslim development EPIC City — even as the creators of the 402-acre master planned project say construction has not started.
Gov. Greg Abbott
“Texas has halted any construction of EPIC City. There is no construction taking place,” Abbott posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, on May 11. “The state of Texas has launched about a half dozen investigations into this project. That includes criminal investigations… This matter, and similar matters, are taken very seriously, and actions are being taken to address all concerns.”
Abbott started his crusade against EPIC City in February, with claims that East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC) and its development arm, Community Capital Partners Inc. (CCP), had violated several state and federal laws, including building without a permit and offering funeral services without a license.
The governor also claimed EPIC City, which includes plans for single- and multifamily homes, a mosque, a faith-based primary school, a community college and commercial lots for small businesses, violates the 1968 Fair Housing Act, which prohibits landlords, developers and other real estate entities from discriminating against prospective renters and buyers based on “race or color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, or disability.”
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Texas Senator John Cornyn have backed Abbott, with both men making claims that EPIC would force EPIC City residents to follow Sharia, which the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) defines as moral guidance based on the Quran and sayings from the Prophet Muhammad. Although Western culture is most familiar with the strictest interpretation of Sharia, the CFR said there are multiple interpretations of Sharia, from liberal to conservative.
Cornyn said he sent a letter to the Department of Justice, asking Attorney General Pam Bondi to launch an investigation into EPIC and EPIC City.
“Religious discrimination and Sharia Law have no place in the Lone Star State,” Cornyn said in a prepared statement on Monday. “Any violations of federal law must be swiftly prosecuted, and I know under the Trump administration, they will be.”
As Abbott, Paxton, and Cornyn advance their mission to squash EPIC City, EPIC and CCP leaders maintain they haven’t broken any laws, as the development is still in the planning stage. EPIC’s website includes several project renderings, information on how to purchase a plot, and a development timeline, which states that EPIC and CCP are expected to close on the land for EPIC City in June.
EPIC City renderings for housing, a mosque and resident common areas | Credit: EPIC City
Leaders also dismissed Abbott’s fair housing claims, as the community is open to homebuyers and renters of all faiths.
“The vision for EPIC City is simple,” CCP President Imran Chaudhary told FOX 4 Dallas-Ft. Worth on Monday. “We want to build an inclusive community, one in which people of every background, faith, and culture can live together in harmony.”
EPIC and CCP hired veteran attorney Dan Cogdell to represent them in the investigations, which include the Texas Rangers, the Texas Workforce Commission, the Texas State Securities Board, the Texas Funeral Service Commission and the Texas Attorney General. Cogdell rose to national prominence in 2024 while representing AG Ken Paxton in a securities fraud case.
“[EPIC has] done nothing illegal and we will cooperate fully with all investigations — regardless of how misguided and unnecessary they are,” he told FOX 4 on Monday.
Cogdell also admonished Abbott, Paxton and Cornyn for using Islamaphobia to sour public perception against EPIC and CCP, and said there wouldn’t be an uproar if EPIC and CCP were planning their development around a church or temple.
“[This is] racial profiling,” he said. “These folks are U.S. Citizens, law-abiding and Texans.”
