Why it Matters
A House Judiciary subcommittee is set to hold its second hearing on whether Islamic law and political Islam are compatible with the U.S. Constitution. This is a forum that targets Muslim Americans' religious practice but supporters frame as a constitutional reckoning. The hearing, chaired by Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), is directly tied to legislation Roy introduced that would bar entry to — and deport — any foreign national deemed an adherent of Sharia law, raising First Amendment questions that legal scholars say could redefine how the government treats religious belief as a basis for immigration enforcement.
The Legislative Backdrop
Roy introduced H.R. 5722, the "Preserving a Sharia-Free America Act," in October 2025. The bill would authorize the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security, as well as the Attorney General, to render any foreign national who is found to be "an adherent of Sharia law" inadmissible or deportable. Roy's office described it as a measure to "prevent all foreign nationals who observe Sharia from entering the U.S. or from remaining in the country."
The hearing series appears designed to build a public record around that bill. Part I was held on February 10, 2026, before the same subcommittee. Ranking Member Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA) submitted a Politico article into the record at that hearing characterizing the series as politically motivated, per docs.house.gov.
The Texas Flashpoint
The hearings track closely with events in Texas. In November 2025, Gov. Greg Abbott directed law enforcement in Dallas and Collin Counties to investigate what he called "Sharia courts" — Islamic mediation groups he alleged were attempting to supersede Texas law. In April 2026, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton escalated, announcing legal action against a Dallas-based entity called the "Islamic Tribunal," which Paxton alleged had been "seeking to replace actual courts of law and evade neutral and generally applicable state and federal laws."
"If the Islamic Tribunal is undermining the rule of law or misleading Texans about the legal authority it claims to hold, my office will ensure its operation is shut down," Paxton said, according to KERA News. "This is America, and we will not be governed by sharia law." The Islamic Tribunal has not been found to have violated any law.
Who's Spending What
The lobbying landscape surrounding the hearing reflects a lopsided financial fight. Organizations opposing religious-based immigration restrictions have spent roughly 68 times more than those supporting the hearing's agenda over the past year.
The American Civil Liberties Union reported $2,285,000 in lobbying activity across four quarters, covering broad legislative advocacy that would encompass opposition to measures like H.R. 5722. Protect the 1st Inc. spent $200,000 on issues related to free speech and freedom of religion. The Alliance for Shared Values Inc. reported $40,000 in filings explicitly addressing "human rights, freedom of expression, religious freedom, and rule of law."
On the other side, ACT! for America — which directly lobbied on Roy's legislation and on S.3008, the "No Shari's Act" — reported $37,500 in total lobbying spending over four quarters.
Islamic Relief USA spent $440,000 across four quarters engaging Congress and federal agencies on behalf of the organization, consistent with advocacy aimed at countering proposed restrictions targeting Islamic organizations.
The Subcommittee
The hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, May 13, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. in 2141 Rayburn House Office Building, before the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government of the House Judiciary Committee. Roy chairs the subcommittee. Scanlon serves as ranking member.
Other members include Reps. Jim Jordan (R-OH), Harriet Hageman (R-WY), Thomas Massie (R-KY), Wesley Hunt (R-TX), Glenn Grothman (R-WI), Mark Harris (R-NC), Bob Onder (R-MO), Brandon Gill (R-TX), and Tom McClintock (R-CA) on the Republican side. Democratic members include Reps. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Joe Neguse (D-CO), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Becca Balint (D-VT), Sydney Kamlager (D-CA), and Dan Goldman (D-NY).
No witnesses have been announced ahead of the hearing.
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