Greg Abbott ordered a review of state grants tied to George Bush Intercontinental Airport and DFW on Friday after DFW dropped a plan for Islamic washing stations. He also referred both airports to the U.S. Department of Transportation for investigation, widening a dispute that began with a DFW proposal and now reaches the grant money that supports airport operations.
Abbott’s Friday posts
Abbott wrote on X Friday that “Government-owned airports cannot favor one religion over all others.” He added, “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.”
He followed that with a third post: “Texas will not allow illegal religious discrimination at taxpayer-funded facilities.” Those statements set out the immediate consequence for the airports: state grant support is now under review, and the matter has been handed to the federal transportation department for investigation.
DFW’s Terminal D filing
DFW said it had been evaluating an internal proposal to add a set of ablution washing stations on the pre-security side of Terminal D. The project was registered with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation on July 31, initially listed as privately funded, with a $300,000 cost estimate and construction planned by the end of the year.
DFW previously said the filing details came from administrative errors by the airport’s outside design firm. A DFW spokesperson later said the project, if approved to proceed, would cost closer to $120,000.
DFW drops project
DFW accelerated its review this week because of elevated public interest and then determined not to proceed with the project, saying it would not deliver the originally anticipated operational benefits. DFW also said the project had not received final approval.
That sequence leaves Abbott’s review aimed at airports that are now facing a funding question rather than a construction question. The source material ties the proposal itself to DFW, while Abbott’s action extends the grant review to George Bush Intercontinental Airport as well; whether George Bush Intercontinental Airport had any related proposal or accommodation plan is not explained in the source.
For airport operators, the practical issue now is whether state grants already in place could be revoked and whether future funding could be denied while the federal investigation moves ahead.
