Governor Greg Abbott of Texas has requested state and federal officials to review grants awarded to airports in Texas concerning the installation of Islamic washing facilities, known as wudu stations, at two major airports. In letters addressed to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Dallas-Fort Worth Airport CEO Christopher McLaughlin, Abbott expressed concerns regarding the planned installation of these facilities at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and highlighted an existing facility at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston.
Abbott stated that these facilities appear to provide special treatment to a specific religious group, which he argues is illegal under constitutional provisions that prohibit discrimination. He emphasized that government-owned airports must adhere to nondiscrimination requirements due to their public funding.
The planned DFW facility was initially expected to cost $300,000 and was to be privately funded. However, following Abbott's intervention, the project has been canceled, according to reports. Wudu stations are designed for Muslims to perform ritual washing before prayers and are present in various major U.S. airports.
Abbott's actions come after he previously threatened to withhold state grants from Grand Prairie over a private Muslim event at a city-owned water park, which was ultimately canceled. He has also taken steps against what his administration describes as religious discrimination, including designating certain organizations as extremist and signing legislation to prevent discrimination based on religious beliefs in residential developments.