The Texas Public Policy Foundation today announced a major new policy initiative aimed at combating Islamist radicalization, hostile foreign influence, and extremist networks operating within the State of Texas.

The initiative, titled the Agenda to Defeat Islamist Radicalization and the Influence of Terrorist Organizations in Texas, proposes a series of policy reforms designed to strengthen transparency, protect constitutional governance, secure public institutions, promote assimilation, and prevent foreign-directed extremist influence from undermining Texas communities.

The policies adhere to foundational Western values of religious liberty while focusing on unlawful conduct, foreign influence operations, support networks tied to designated terrorist organizations and attempts to impose extra-judicial systems that violate constitutional protections.

“Texas has both the right and the responsibility to protect its citizens, institutions, and constitutional order from hostile foreign influence,” said Selene Rodriguez, Campaign Director for Secure & Sovereign Texas. “Texas should aggressively identify and combat organized efforts to undermine our laws, radicalize vulnerable populations, or import foreign ideological conflicts into Texas communities.”

TPPF leaders noted growing concerns about anti-Western extremist organizations operating through nonprofit and advocacy networks, the development of isolated communities governed by informal religious authority structures and increasing efforts to introduce one-sided ideological material into educational settings.

“The state of Texas has a legitimate interest in ensuring transparency in education, preventing foreign influence in classrooms, and safeguarding students from political or ideological indoctrination,” said Kate Bierly, Campaign Director for Next Generation Texas. “Parents deserve to know who is funding curriculum materials, student programming, and campus initiatives, particularly when those materials may be connected to hostile foreign governments or extremist organizations.”

The initiative argues that Texas can combat radicalization without compromising the constitutional liberties that define Western civilization.

“The way we defeat radicalization is not by violating our own values,” Rodriguez added. “We do it by enforcing the rule of law equally, protecting individual rights, ensuring transparency, promoting assimilation, and limiting organizations to activities specifically protected by the Constitution while prosecuting all unlawful conduct to the fullest extent permitted by law.”

The proposed legislative agenda includes:

  • Texas Engel List — Creation of a state-level sanctions and transparency list targeting individuals and organizations tied to corruption, extremist activity, terrorist networks, or hostile foreign influence.
  • Preventing Misappropriation of Taxpayer Dollars — Enhanced auditing and oversight to ensure state funds do not support foreign terrorist organizations, transnational criminal organizations, or foreign-directed extremist networks.
  • Expanded Anti-Terrorism Designations — Strengthening state authority to identify and sever relationships with entities providing material support to terrorist or extremist organizations.
  • Supremacy of State Laws — Expanding protections against the enforcement of foreign legal judgments or religious tribunal decisions that violate constitutional rights or Texas public policy.
  • Foreign Funding Restrictions in Education — Prohibiting hostile foreign nations and affiliated entities from funding or contracting with Texas K-12 schools and public universities.
  • TRACE & REJECT Act — Restores parents’ right to review and reject foreign-funded curriculum and foreign compensation of school employees, prohibits instructional content tied to designated foreign terrorist organizations, and equips students to understand radical Islamism as a totalitarian political ideology that threatens the values of Western Civilization.
  • Securing Critical Infrastructure — Preventing hostile foreign actors from acquiring or controlling critical infrastructure including energy assets, ports, pipelines, telecommunications systems, and data centers.
  • Strengthening Laws Against Exploitative Marriage Practices — Increasing penalties related to plural marriage, underage marriage, and exploitative practices that isolate vulnerable individuals and facilitate abuse.
  • Regional Prosecutor and Court System — Establishing enhanced prosecutorial authority to pursue crimes and unlawful conduct when local jurisdictions refuse to act.

The initiative will be advanced through legislation, public education campaigns, coalition partnerships, and policy research during the upcoming legislative cycle.

“The preservation of liberty requires vigilance,” Bierly said. “Texas must remain committed to protecting constitutional freedoms while also confronting the very real threats posed by extremist ideologies, foreign influence operations, and organizations that seek to undermine our institutions from within.”