The U.S. Department of Justice has officially closed its investigation into EPIC City, a controversial 402-acre proposed Muslim-centric development in Collin and Hunt Counties, following a request from U.S. Senator John Cornyn earlier this year.
In a letter sent to Community Capital Partners (CCP), Harmeet K. Dhillon, assistant attorney general of the Civil Rights Division at the U.S. Department of Justice, stated the following on June 13, 2025:
Thank you for your letter dated June 5, 2025, responding to the document requests sent by the Department of Justice (“Department”) in this matter. Based on your responses and other information we have gathered, it appears that Community Capital Partners (“CCP”) has purchased the 402-acre undeveloped pasture in Collin and Hunt Counties, but has not yet sought any permits to develop the property, which is still in the planning stage. You also state that you expect to begin the permitting process for a residential development in July or August of this year but believe that full development may take several years. Finally, CCP has affirmed that all will be welcome in any future development, and that you plan to revise and develop marketing materials to reinforce that message consistent with your obligations under the Fair Housing Act.
Based on this information, the Department is closing its investigation at this time. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.
The DOJ’s decision has sparked strong reactions in Texas, where concerns about the development’s potential religious and legal implications remain high.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s investigation into the development is still ongoing.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Paxton has sent formal records requests to four North Texas municipalities, Plano, Richardson, Wylie, and Josephine, as part of an ongoing investigation into potential violations of state law by EPIC’s organizers.
“Both America and Texas were founded on Christian values and principles. The EPIC City development will inevitably turn into a hub governed by Sharia law unless prevented now. There is no place for Sharia law in Texas,” said Kaden Lopez, executive director for the Texas Family Project, to DX. “Despite the U.S. Department of Justice closing its investigation, we urge Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to continue the fight.”
“I believe Senator Cornyn’s consultants may have convinced him to ask the Feds to intervene in a case for a headline, where in reality the Feds had very little power to do anything. What is happening in reality? Attorney General Ken Paxton has indicated his investigation into the development is continuing, despite the move by the Feds. The State of Texas is doing the heavy lifting here, which is unfortunate for the Senior Senator seeking his fifth term,” Texas Conservative Activist Tom Slocum told DX.
Tarrant County GOP Chairman Bo French was even more direct, telling DX, “No more grandstanding. No more strongly worded letters. Investigations are simply not enough. We have to stop the advancement of radical Islam in America. Period.”
Questions have been raised about how this development could impact Texas, especially in light of recently passed laws aimed at preventing the rise of Islamic enclaves and foreign legal systems.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, the Texas Legislature responded to the EPIC City development issue by passing House Bill 4211, a measure banning Sharia-compliant enclaves and religious governance in Texas communities. Governor Greg Abbott signed the bill into law on June 19.
The Dallas Express reached out to Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.