Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has asked the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate Islamic foot-washing stations at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport, calling the facilities discriminatory.
In a letter dated Friday, Aug. 21, Abbott wrote that the ablution stations “single out one subset of the population for special treatment based on religion” and equated them to “white-only bathrooms.” He requested that Attorney General Todd Blanche and Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon review the stations and take “appropriate corrective action.”
According to the governor’s office, two ablution stations already operate at DFW Airport, while Bush Airport has one station connected to a prayer room containing copies of the Quran, prayer rugs, prayer beads and a turbah. Abbott argued that government-owned airports receiving public and federal funds cannot favor one religion over others.
The DOJ referral follows Abbott’s earlier action last week, when he directed a review of state grants to the airports and referred the matter to the U.S. Department of Transportation. After that threat, DFW Airport abandoned plans to add more washing stations in its international terminal. Airport officials said the expected benefits of the expansion might not be achieved amid elevated public interest.
Ablution, or wudu, is the Islamic practice of washing the face, hands, arms, head and feet before prayer. Stations for the ritual have become more common at major U.S. airports serving large Muslim populations.
Abbott has maintained that the existing facilities violate constitutional protections against religious discrimination. Critics, including the Texas chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, have previously described his focus on the stations as an anti-Muslim political stunt. The Justice Department has not publicly responded to the referral.
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