Though construction has stalled, and continued planning seemed to be on the back burner, at the request of Sen. John Cornyn, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has launched an investigation into EPIC City, a proposed real estate development designed specifically for Islamic residents in far north Collin County blueprinted by a local mosque.
“I am grateful to Attorney General Bondi and the Department of Justice for hearing my concerns and opening an investigation into the proposed EPIC City development in North Texas,” Cornyn said in a press release announcing the investigation. “Religious discrimination and Sharia Law have no place in the Lone Star State. Any violations of federal law must be swiftly prosecuted, and I know under the Trump administration, they will be.”
EPIC City is a Muslim-centric 402-acre real estate development concept planned for the small town of Josephine, located near Plano. Blueprints for the theorized community, planned by North Texas’s largest mosque, the East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC), premiered in a since-deleted YouTube video posted by the religious organization in October of 2024. The organization planned to build 1,000 homes, a K-12 religious school, a mosque and a retail center on the acreage it purchased.
“EPIC City is more than just a neighborhood; it’s a way of life,” said the announcement video from the East Plano Islamic Center. “It is a meticulously designed community that brings Islam to the forefront, a community that blends with nature, crafted to elevate your living experience.”
The video and the community plan were immediately flagged by many conservatives on social media as “cult-like” and called a “Sharia city." It didn't take long for Texas’s political powerhouses to catch wind of the plan and react with firm outrage. The recent DOJ investigation rides on the heels of similar investigations from state departments launched by Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney Gen. Ken Paxton.
Critics of the proposed community allege that a rumored process of only allowing Muslim people to own homes in the development would violate the Fair Housing Act of 1968, which prohibits discrimination in housing on the basis of race, gender, nationality, familial status and religion.
“Realizing that many responsible citizens of other countries might be interested in our properties, our offering is open to any person we approve within the property and investment laws of the United States,” read the project's website. “[We] will limit sales to only persons we believe will contribute to the overall makeup of our community and are legally eligible to invest and buy property in the United States.”
EPIC has denied any discriminatory processes and clarified that anyone can come to EPIC City, though it remains unclear if homeownership has religious prerequisites.
“It’s an open community,” Qadhi said to KERA News. “Anybody can come in. We're welcoming people of all backgrounds and diversity, and we're offering them facilities that we think would be very, very useful.”
In the heat of the controversy, and under the magnifying glass of a dozen government agencies, construction on the city never began, but that hasn’t stopped Texas officials from calling in the Feds.
Here’s a timeline of how we got here:
February 2024:
The East Plano Islamic Center announced a concept city in Josephine, advertising an Islamic school, tennis courts and cricket fields, single-family homes, multi-family apartments and commercial area on Instagram. The original post warned that only 500 shares were available for purchase, and investors should reach out sooner rather than later.October 2024:
A video, which is no longer available, showed EPIC City mock-ups and explained the elaborate layouts planned for the community. The video was subject to immediate pushback from far-right Twitter warriors, like Amy Mekelberg, who has tweeted about the city many times. She heads the Rise Align Ignite Reclaim Foundation, "a grassroots activist organization comprised of everyday Americans leading a movement to reclaim our Republic from the network of individuals and organizations waging war on Americans, our Constitution, our borders and our Judeo-Christian values."Mekelberg and her rapid-fire and long-winded tweets spreading anti-Islam rhetoric, upheld by allegations about EPIC City, would eventually catch the attention of Abbott.
Feb 24, 2025:
A tweet from Abbott in response to Mekelberg marked the beginning of a quick-fire response to EPIC City plans from Texas politicians.To be clear, Sharia law is not allowed in Texas.
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) February 24, 2025
Nor are Sharia cities.
Nor are “no go zones“ which this project seems to imply.
Bottom line. The project as proposed in the video is not allowed in Texas. https://t.co/5Sw5VdXD31
March 24, 2025:
Exactly one month after Abbott initially tweeted about EPIC City, he announced that a dozen state agencies were investigating the legality of the “EPIC compound." Abbott also announced he had roped Paxton in to do his own digging.March 25, 2025:
The attorney general announced he was pursuing a civil investigation into Community Capital Partners, an affiliated entity of EPIC and the contractor in charge of the mosque’s designated city.“Under my watch, there will be zero tolerance for any person or entity that breaks Texas law,” said Paxton in a press release on March 25. “My office has an open and ongoing investigation into EPIC City, which has raised a number of concerns, and this CID will help ensure that any potential violation of state law is uncovered.”
March 26, 2025:
The East Plano Islamic Center received a cease and desist order from Texas Funeral Services for conducting unlicensed funeral services. Abbott indicated that this was just the first legal action of many to come."This the tip of the iceberg," the governor wrote on X. "We are uncovering legal violations by EPIC City that go far beyond what people realize. The proposed community will never see the light of day. More to come."
March 28, 2025:
Fulfilling his promises, Abbott announced another investigation into EPIC on the basis of possible fraud.“The group behind the proposed East Plano Islamic Center compound may be misleading investors,” Abbott said in the release. “Defrauding Texans will not be tolerated. The Texas State Securities Board is conducting a thorough investigation to ensure Texans are protected from financial harm that is alleged to have been caused by EPIC. This is part of an ongoing investigation into allegations of illegal activities by EPIC. All entities in Texas must follow state law, not Sharia law."
March 31, 2025:
In response to Abbott and Paxton's dropping the hammer, the Collin County Commissioners court held a public hearing about the proposed development. The hearing lasted hours, during which time Collin County residents gathered to share their thoughts.“This Sharia law is so far away from our constitution of protecting our inalienable rights and our freedom of speech that it is totally incongruent with anything that we can allow in the state of Texas,” said David Jackson, a commercial real estate broker from Frisco at the commissioners' court meeting, as reported by KERA News.
April 3, 2025:
The East Plano Islamic Center released an official statement on their Instagram about some of the online vitriol and threats facing their mosque, congregants and the Muslim community. The statement revealed that the addresses of mosque leaders had been leaked and safety concerns led the center to hire a lawyer.April 23, 2025:
Taking the wheel from Abbott, Paxton ordered Plano Independent School District to turn over documents that might connect the East Plano Islamic Center with school board members.“My office is demanding documents from Plano ISD officials who may have communicated with individuals involved with EPIC City as part of our ongoing investigation into this development,” said Paxton in a release. “We will thoroughly review the records we receive and hold anyone who violates Texas law accountable.”
May 9, 2025: News on EPIC City and any developments quieted. The Collin County commissioners court revealed that no official permitting request had ever been submitted, and EPIC City, still in its early development phases, seemed to be stalled. Ground was never broken. But still, Senator Cornyn announced the investigation by the DOJ.
May 11, 2025:
Abbott refocused his lasers on EPIC City, reiterating the successful stalling of future construction but reducing the number of state agencies involved by half.Texas has halted any construction of EPIC City.
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) May 11, 2025
There is no construction taking place.
The state of Texas has launched about a half dozen investigations into this project.
That includes criminal investigations.
And, the US Department of justice is also investigating.… https://t.co/5NDbOkzxTL
July 2, 2025:
According to documents obtained by the Houston Chronicle, EPIC filed a lawsuit against the Texas Funeral Services Commission for the right to perform funeral services. Earlier this year, EPIC received a cease and desist order from the state, keeping the mosque from performing any funerals. According to the filing, EPIC hopes "to vindicate its longstanding right to conduct religious funeral and burial rites in accordance with Islamic faith and tradition—rights that belong not only to EPIC, but to its congregants and the broader Muslim community it serves."
