Gov. Greg Abbott has urged the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) to issue a cease-and-desist order against the Texas American Muslim University at Dallas.
The Richardson-based institution has recently come under scrutiny due to its lack of accreditation, mandatory Islamic studies requirements for students, and strategies for recruiting international students, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
“I directed the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to issue a Cease & Desist to ‘TexAM,’ an unauthorized Islamic educational institution operating illegally in Texas,” Abbott posted on X Thursday. “If they refuse to comply, legal action will follow. Texas will not allow illegal educational institutions to operate in our state.”
I directed the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to issue a Cease & Desist to "TexAM," an unauthorized Islamic educational institution operating illegally in Texas.
If they refuse to comply, legal action will follow.
Texas will not allow illegal educational… pic.twitter.com/JoxvIvrgJg
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) May 7, 2026
The THECB sent the formal notice to TexAM’s address at 1100 E. Campbell Road in Richardson – the same building housing the Dallas Diyanet Mosque and the Islamic Seminary of America – on May 6, and publicly announced the deadline the following day.
Texas law requires any private postsecondary institution operating in the state to hold a Certificate of Authority issued by the THECB under Chapter 61 of the Texas Education Code. TexAM appears to have never obtained one.
Without that certificate, TexAM is legally prohibited from granting degrees or advertising programs leading to a degree. The THECB letter also flagged the school’s use of the word “university” – a protected term under state law – as a separate criminal violation.
The THECB letter specifically mentioned TexAM’s website, which actively advertises a master’s degree in Artificial Intelligence, as well as bachelor’s degree programs in computer science, IT, cybersecurity, and health informatics. All of that must stop immediately, the board said.
“After review, it has been determined that TexAM is not operating in Texas in compliance with the laws and regulations of the state of Texas…TexAM, and all related entities, must immediately cease advertising, offering, and enrolling students in degrees or programs of study until it has applied for and been granted a Certificate of Authority,” the letter reads.
TexAM has been given until Friday, May 8, to sign and return a compliance letter confirming it has permanently ceased all advertising, enrollment, and use of protected terms under the education codes.
Failure to comply could result in referral to local district attorneys and the Texas Attorney General’s office for investigation and criminal prosecution.
The Dallas Express reported that TexAM, which describes itself as “the first university in the United States to offer STEM degree programs embedded with mandatory courses in Islamic Studies,” listed no accrediting body on its website and was actively recruiting overseas students, including through a “Special Initiative for Pakistani Students” offering them a discounted tuition.
Richardson Mayor Amir Omar, elected in May 2025, has publicly praised TexAM in a video circulating on X, offering to connect the school with local employers and joking about scouting a second campus location.
Rep. Brandon Gill (R-TX-26), who introduced the Student Visa Integrity Act of 2026 earlier this year to tighten oversight of the student visa system, weighed in on the TexAm situation on X, writing: “We are being conquered.” In a follow-up post on Wednesday, Gill added, “They aren’t coming to assimilate. They’re coming to dominate.”
They aren’t coming to assimilate. They’re coming to dominate. https://t.co/IKuJKIamyb
— Brandon Gill (@realBrandonGill) May 6, 2026
The THECB has not referred the matter to the Attorney General as of Thursday afternoon, but has made clear that a referral is the next step if TexAM does not comply with its new deadline.
TexAM has not responded to multiple requests for comment from The Dallas Express.
