DOJ to investigate 400-acre Muslim town in Texas over claims it would operate on Islamic law

The Department of Justice has launched an investigation into the proposed EPIC City development in Josephine, Texas, a 400-acre project led by the East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC), to determine whether it violates federal law. The move follows concerns raised by Senator John Cornyn, who has labeled the development “antisemitic and anti-Christian.”

“I am grateful to Attorney General [Pam] Bondi and the Department of Justice for hearing my concerns and opening an investigation into the proposed EPIC City development in North Texas,” Cornyn said in a statement on Friday. “Religious discrimination and Sharia Law have no place in the Lone Star State. Any violations of federal law must be swiftly prosecuted, and I know under the Trump administration, they will be.”

EPIC City is planned to include housing, schools, daycare facilities, and medical clinics, with the goal of creating a “vibrant, multigenerational, and inclusive master planned community.” The initiative has drawn criticism from state officials, including Governor Greg Abbott, who launched three investigations into the project in March, citing potential criminal activity, housing discrimination, and financial harm to the state. In April, Abbott ordered construction to halt, claiming proper permits had not been submitted.

Attorney Dan Cogdell, representing EPIC City, pushed back against the accusations, stating that the development intends to follow the law in full.

“From day one, their intention was to comply completely and wholeheartedly with the law,” said Cogdell, according to The Washington Post. “And they’ve just been vilified, assailed and attacked.”

“What is crazy to me is how far we haven’t come since 9/11. The words ‘mosque,’ ‘Islam,’ ‘Muslim’ in the year of our Lord 2025 are still such a triggering event,” Cogdell added.

Cornyn had formally requested a DOJ investigation on April 11, writing to the Civil Rights Division and claiming the development constituted an “exclusive religious settlement” governed by “Islamic principles.” His request drew criticism from Muslim advocacy groups. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi arguing that Cornyn’s claims were false and that “Muslim-led developments must be treated equally under the law.”