Texas Draws Red Line: No Taxpayer Dollars for Communist China or Radical Islamic-Tied Schools

Texas officials have identified multiple schools with direct connections to the Chinese Communist Party and radical Islamic organizations attempting to infiltrate the state’s historic $1 billion school choice program—and they’re shutting the door before a single dollar changes hands.

Attorney General Ken Paxton delivered a decisive legal opinion Saturday that arms acting state Comptroller Kelly Hancock with the authority to blacklist any institution tied to America’s adversaries from the Texas Education Freedom Account program. The stakes couldn’t be higher with the program launching February 4th.

“More than a handful” of schools have already been flagged, according to Hancock. And that’s just what investigators have uncovered so far.

Foreign Infiltration Runs Deep

The problematic institutions fall into two disturbing categories: schools directly connected to the Chinese Communist Party and facilities that have hosted events with or maintain ties to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).

CAIR masquerades as a civil rights organization while maintaining documented connections to the Muslim Brotherhood. Governor Greg Abbott didn’t mince words when he designated CAIR as a terrorist organization last November—a classification that should concern every American parent.

Hancock’s team discovered schools owned by groups employing CCP-linked advisers. Other flagged institutions obtained accreditation from agencies that actively partner with CAIR for events. This isn’t coincidental overlap—it’s calculated infiltration.

Protecting Taxpayer Dollars From America’s Enemies

“Our priority was protecting taxpayer dollars to make sure that they didn’t end up in the hands of groups that support terrorist activity or were hostile to the United States,” Hancock stated flatly.

The comptroller’s office isn’t playing defense. They’re playing offense.

While other states scrambled to address foreign influence after their school choice programs launched, Texas identified the threat before opening day. Hancock’s team has already approved 1,457 legitimate schools while systematically rooting out bad actors.

“I never lost sleep because we were ahead of the game,” Hancock said.

The Cognia Problem

The investigation revealed a troubling pattern centered on Cognia, an accreditation nonprofit that vets charter and private schools nationwide. Multiple schools flagged for foreign adversary connections had received Cognia’s stamp of approval.

Hancock didn’t hesitate. He temporarily froze all approvals for Cognia-accredited institutions—even some Christian private schools—until investigators could separate legitimate educational institutions from potential security threats.

Thanks to Paxton’s legal opinion, clean schools are now moving through the approval process. Schools with questionable ties remain locked out, exactly where they belong.

CAIR Threatens Legal Action

Predictably, CAIR Texas is threatening to sue if Hancock continues scrutinizing schools connected to their organization. They’re hiding behind legal technicalities and crying discrimination.

The organization claims Hancock “cannot bar private schools from this program because of their real or imagined interactions with CAIR-Texas.” They demand Muslim schools receive participation “without facing any discrimination, heightened scrutiny or further delays.”

Translation: They want Texas taxpayers to fund schools connected to an organization the governor designated as terrorist without asking questions.

That’s not happening.

Business-Like Approach to National Security

Hancock frames the vetting process in business terms while making no apologies for thoroughness.

“We want to make sure that we run it like a business and try to protect taxpayer dollars on both sides of it,” he explained, asking families to remain patient while investigators complete their work.

The investigation continues. More problematic schools will likely be identified as Hancock’s team digs deeper into ownership structures, advisory boards, and organizational affiliations.

Governor Abbott publicly praised Paxton’s opinion, confirming that taxpayer “dollars will not be used for schools connected to groups like CAIR or countries like China that I have designated as foreign terrorist organizations.”

A Billion-Dollar Program, Zero Tolerance for Enemies

The Texas Education Freedom Account program represents one of the largest school choice initiatives in American history. One billion dollars in taxpayer funding will empower parents to direct their children’s education, including tuition at approved private schools.

That’s precisely why foreign adversaries want in. A billion dollars buys significant influence over young American minds. The CCP and radical Islamic organizations understand that education shapes ideology—and they’re desperate to shape the next generation of Texans.

Texas Republicans aren’t letting that happen.

Setting the National Standard

Other states should take notes. School choice programs create unprecedented opportunities for parental freedom and educational excellence. They also create vulnerabilities that America’s enemies will ruthlessly exploit if given the chance.

Texas is demonstrating how to protect both parental choice and national security simultaneously. Vet thoroughly. Investigate aggressively. Deny access to hostile actors. No apologies, no exceptions.

The application period opens February 4th and runs through March 17th. Families across Texas will finally access educational freedom while knowing their state protected them from institutions that despise everything America represents.

That’s leadership. That’s accountability. That’s how you protect children and taxpayers in a single stroke.

Communist China and radical Islamic organizations just learned a valuable lesson: Texas won’t trade American values for the illusion of inclusion. Not now. Not ever.