When a Texas agency can shut down a new university at the governor’s command before the public ever sees the full case file, it spotlights how distant higher-education power has become from ordinary citizens on both the right and the left.
Story Snapshot
- Texas ordered a Muslim-centered university in Richardson to cease operations, saying it illegally offered degree programs without state approval.
- Governor Greg Abbott personally directed regulators to act, and officials warned of possible criminal and consumer-fraud penalties.
- The school’s founder says it has not charged tuition or granted degrees and is seeking proper authorization and accreditation.
- Limited public access to the underlying enforcement records fuels suspicion of both government overreach and potential diploma-mill behavior.
State Says TexAM Operated As An Unauthorized University
Texas regulators announced that “Texas American Muslim University at Dallas,” also known as TexAM University at Dallas, had been offering or advertising degree programs without the legally required Certificate of Authority under Chapter 61 of the Texas Education Code.[1][2] The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board said TexAM never received permission to operate as a university or grant degrees in the state, making any such offers unlawful.[1][2][3] Officials stressed that state rules apply regardless of an institution’s religious identity or curriculum.[2]
The coordinating board’s cease-and-desist order required TexAM to immediately stop offering degree programs, halt all advertising and enrollment efforts, and discontinue use of protected terms like “university” and “college” that Texas law reserves for approved institutions.[1][2] Regulators warned that continued operation could expose the organization to criminal charges, civil liability, administrative fines, and action under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act.[1][2] Authorities also flagged concerns that TexAM’s branding could confuse students about its legitimacy and status.[1]
Governor Abbott’s Direct Involvement And Political Overtones
Governor Greg Abbott publicly stated that he personally directed the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to issue the cease-and-desist order against what he called an “unauthorized Islamic educational institution operating illegally in Texas.”[1][3] Abbott framed the move as protecting Texans from illegal educational operators and vowed that legal action would follow if TexAM did not comply.[1][3] The governor’s message was amplified on social media and in conservative outlets, shaping public perception before full documentation was released.[1][3]
Because the institution is explicitly Muslim-centered, the enforcement action quickly moved into the broader culture-war stream where both conservative and liberal frustrations with government often harden along identity lines.[1][3] Supporters of Abbott’s approach see it as defending students and taxpayers from a potential diploma mill and from brand confusion with established schools like Texas A&M University.[1][4] Critics worry that state leaders selectively target Muslim institutions while appearing less aggressive toward other questionable operators, reinforcing perceptions of politicized, uneven enforcement.[1][3]
TexAM Founder Says No Degrees Granted And Approvals Sought
TexAM founder and board chairman Shahid A. Bajwa responded that the organization is a legally registered nonprofit operating under a “doing business as” name, Texas American Muslim University at Dallas.[2] Bajwa said the school has been funded through donations, has not charged tuition, and “does not grant degrees, certificates, or credentials” at this time.[2] He acknowledged that TexAM “must obtain state authorization and accreditation” before legally offering degrees and claimed the institution is in the process of seeking those approvals.[2]
Bajwa emphasized that TexAM is working with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to clarify misunderstandings and come into full compliance with state regulations.[2] His statement narrows the dispute to whether the institution improperly advertised or framed its programs before authorization rather than whether it actually awarded illegitimate degrees.[2]
Deeper Questions About Oversight, Branding, And Trust
State officials say TexAM’s conduct violated consumer-protection safeguards designed to prevent students from investing time and money in worthless credentials.[1][2] They argue that requiring a Certificate of Authority and tightly controlling use of terms like “university” ensures degrees are recognized by employers and other schools.[2] From this vantage point, shutting down TexAM’s operations before degrees are granted is a preemptive defense of families who have already been burned by predatory for-profit colleges and online scams across the country.[2]
At the direction of Governor Abbott, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) today sent a letter demanding that an entity calling itself Texas American Muslim University at Dallas (TexAM) cease all operations. pic.twitter.com/1zs5TMl5Re
— Hemingwaypaws (@Hemingwaypaws) May 21, 2026
Yet the public still lacks the full cease-and-desist letter, investigative memos, and any application history that would allow independent evaluation of the state’s case.[1][2] That secrecy reinforces a broader sense that higher-education regulators, political leaders, and large institutions protect their own interests first while ordinary citizens, including sincere religious communities trying to build alternatives, are left guessing.[1][2][3] Conservatives see another unelected board wielding power with limited transparency; liberals see another example of selective enforcement on a vulnerable minority institution.
Sources:
[1] Web – Abbott’s Urgent Order: TexAM University Banned in Texas – Audacy
[2] Web – State Board Orders Muslim University in Dallas To Shut Down
[3] YouTube – Texas to Shut Down Unauthorized ‘American Muslim University’
[4] YouTube – State Orders Muslim University To Shut Down
