Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport has dropped plans to install additional wash stations in Terminal D after public backlash and action by Gov. Greg Abbott.
Airport officials said they accelerated an internal review of the proposal due to elevated public interest this week and determined the project would not deliver the originally anticipated operational benefits. The statement came from airport spokesperson Heath Montgomery in response to inquiries from multiple news outlets Friday.
The proposed project involved adding one men’s and one women’s ablution station to existing concourse-level restrooms on the pre-security side of Terminal D, the airport’s international terminal. Ablution stations are commonly used for Wudu, a ritual washing practice in Islam before prayer.
Government-owned airports cannot favor one religion over all others.
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) August 14, 2026
DFW plans to install Islamic wudu washing facilities are illegal. I've directed a review of all state grants to both airports for possible revocation, and referred DFW & IAH to USDOT for investigation.
Texas… pic.twitter.com/XY58WAKJ8N
DFW already maintains wash stations in its Terminal D interfaith chapel. Similar facilities exist at other major airports, including Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport.
Gov. Abbott announced Friday that he had directed a review of state grants to DFW and Houston’s Bush Airport and referred both to the U.S. Department of Transportation for investigation. In a public statement, Abbott said government-owned airports cannot favor one religion over others and described the facilities as illegal religious discrimination at taxpayer-funded sites.
Early reports based on a state filing described the project as privately funded with an estimated cost of $300,000. Airport officials later clarified those details were incorrect and stemmed from a preliminary assessment by an outside design firm. The work would have been paid for with airport revenue.
The decision ends the evaluation of the expansion while leaving the existing chapel stations in place. Montgomery said he was not aware of any additional proposed changes at this time.
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