Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Monday that his office has opened an investigation into a major development project in Kaufman County, raising concerns that the plan could amount to the creation of a so-called “sharia city” linked to a Dubai-based company.
Paxton said the investigation will examine a development underway near the city of Kaufman, roughly 34 miles southeast of Dallas. The project drew scrutiny after an American subsidiary of SEE Holdings, a company based in Dubai, purchased thousands of acres of land in the area. Reports and online claims suggested that as many as 20,000 foreign nationals could eventually move into the development, prompting alarm among local residents and state officials.
“There will be no ‘sharia city’ in Texas under my watch,” Paxton said in a statement. “While you’re on American soil, you will obey America’s laws. I have launched this investigation to determine the nature of this development in Kaufman County and will be thoroughly investigating this matter for any unlawful actions.”
According to Paxton, the land purchases are connected to Kaufman Solar, a Delaware-based company. As part of the investigation, the attorney general’s office has requested extensive information from both SEE Holdings and Kaufman Solar. That includes communications with city and county officials, details about the relationship between the two companies, and full disclosures about what is being planned for the property.
Paxton said he has already made his position clear to those involved in the project.
“The group reached out to me, and I said under no circumstances would we accept any planned community that included mosques or religious buildings or schools,” he said. Paxton added that reports of 20,000 foreign nationals potentially relocating to the area were new to him, but stressed that such a scenario would be unacceptable. “That would also be a nonstarter, obviously,” he said.
The attorney general noted that the project’s foreign ties are a key factor driving concern.
“If they were from New York and not Dubai, then we likely wouldn’t be concerned,” Paxton said. He added that, given experiences in nearby counties, any major development would need to actively involve the local community to gain support, something he said has not yet occurred.
Kaufman Solar is a limited liability company registered in Delaware and founded in August 2022. Its registered agent is Nextera Registered Agency, also based in Delaware. Records from Kaufman County commissioner meetings show that NextEra Energy Resources represented Kaufman Solar during discussions with local officials.
This is not the first time Paxton has taken action over concerns about large-scale developments tied to Islamic communities. Last year, he launched an investigation into EPIC City, a proposed Muslim community in northern Texas. In December, Paxton filed a lawsuit seeking to halt construction of that project, alleging violations of state securities laws. Developers behind EPIC City have denied any wrongdoing.
“The leaders behind EPIC City have engaged in a radical plot to destroy hundreds of acres of beautiful Texas land and line their own pockets,” Paxton said at the time. “I will relentlessly bring the full force of the law against anyone who thinks they can ignore the rules and hurt Texans.”
Paxton’s latest move comes as Republican lawmakers nationwide intensify calls to block the influence of Sharia law in the United States. Just last week, House Republicans announced the formation of the Sharia Free America Caucus, arguing that Islamic law is incompatible with the U.S. Constitution.
As the investigation unfolds, Paxton has signaled that Texas will take a hard line, insisting that all developments within the state comply fully with American law and respect the rights and concerns of local communities.
