Greg Abbott threatens airports over Islamic washing facilities: 'Illegal'

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott threatened to revoke state funding for Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) after reviewing facilities used by Muslim travelers for ritual washing. Abbott called the accommodations “illegal” and said they could violate anti-discrimination requirements. He asked the Transportation Secretary and the FAA to investigate. The governor said ablution facilities appear designed to single out a religious subset for special treatment, citing federal and state constitutional limits on government-facilitated discrimination. The Texas Tribune reported IAH has offered an ablution room available to people of all faiths since 2024, while DFW has had a washing station since 2019. DFW canceled a proposed additional facility after Abbott’s comments, and the airport said the project would not deliver expected operational benefits.