Congressman Keith Self Introduces Bill to Designate the North American Islamic Trust as Specially Designated Global Terrorist

Today Congressman Keith Self (TX-03) introduced the Designating North American Islamic Trust Act of 2026, or the DesigNAIT Act, which directs the Treasury Department to designate the North American Islamic Trust (NAIT) and its subsidiaries and affiliates as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs).

NAIT is an Islamic non-profit which holds the title to mosques, schools, and Islamic centers in 42 states. The organization has faced longstanding scrutiny over its associations with individuals and organizations connected to Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood. Evidence presented in the federal prosecution of the Holy Land Foundation documents associations between NAIT and Hamas.

Through Sharia finance, NAIT serves as a custodian and real estate trustee to some of the most radical Islamist institutions in North America. This includes mosques that harbored September 11 hijackers, raised money for Palestinian suicide bombers, or operated as "the defacto headquarters of Al Qaeda in North America." The bill explains how foreign imams and extremists drove out moderate worshippers at local mosques and appointed NAIT as permanent trustee of these properties, perpetuating the hostile takeover of mosques by Islamist hardliners.

"For far too long, Islamist networks have been allowed to build financial and institutional footholds inside the United States while exploiting our laws, our financial system, and our religious institutions," said Congressman Self. "NAIT's documented associations with Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood should set off every national security alarm in Washington. Organizations with clear ties to terrorist networks cannot not be allowed to control hundreds of millions of dollars in property and operate without decisive scrutiny. We are done turning a blind eye. The United States will not be a safe haven for terrorists."

The DesigNAIT Act would:

• Require Treasury to designate NAIT, its subsidiaries, affiliates, and successors as Specially Designated Global Terrorists, subjecting their assets to blocking measures and prohibiting unauthorized financial transactions.
• Cover NAIT-affiliated investment funds, publications, pooled funds, loan programs, and other entities owned or controlled by NAIT or acting on its behalf.
• Establish a process allowing NAIT's interest in covered properties to be transferred to the beneficiary institution itself or an independent successor trustee that is not controlled by or acting on behalf of a designated entity.

The DesigNAIT Act takes a necessary step toward dismantling the financial infrastructure that allows Islamist organizations to maintain influence, move assets, and evade accountability in the United States.

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