DFW Airport scraps controversial Islamic foot-washing station plan as Texas Gov Abbott takes aim

FIRST ON FOX: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday directed a review of state grants to entities operating two major Texas airports over religious accommodations after Dallas Fort Worth International Airport said it would no longer move forward with a proposal to install Islamic washing stations.

Abbott said the state will review grants to entities operating DFW and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston for possible revocation and denial of future funding. He also referred both airports to the U.S. Department of Transportation for investigation.

“Government-owned airports cannot favor one religion over all others,” Abbott wrote on X Friday. “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 will not allow illegal religious discrimination at taxpayer-funded facilities.” 

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DFW told Fox News Digital Friday it had been evaluating a proposal to add ablution washing stations on the pre-security side of Terminal D, its international terminal, but accelerated that review in response to increased public attention.

“DFW was in the process of evaluating an internal proposal to add a set of ablution washing stations on the pre-security side of Terminal D, the international terminal. Like all proposed projects, the airport ultimately considers the operational benefits, customer service impacts, operational risks and costs before approving them,” the airport said. 

“While that evaluation was planned, the airport accelerated its review due to elevated public interest this week and has determined not to proceed with the project as it would not deliver the originally anticipated operational benefits.”

The project was registered with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation July 31. The filing initially listed the project as privately funded, estimated its cost at $300,000 and indicated construction would be completed by the end of the year.

DFW previously said those details resulted from administrative errors by the airport’s outside design firm and stressed that the project had not received final approval.

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“While the estimate noted was $300,000, that was a preliminary high estimate, and we expect the project, if it were approved to proceed, would cost closer to $120,000,” a spokesperson for DFW previously told Fox News Digital.

The airport said the design firm also mistakenly selected “privately funded” when submitting the regulatory filing.

“That was an error, and it should have indicated that airport funds would be used to pay for the work like all our projects,” DFW said.

DFW said it does not use taxpayer dollars for airport operations and instead relies on revenue streams, including parking and concessions.

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Abbott’s office said Friday that George Bush Intercontinental Airport already has an ablution station and an adjoining prayer room.

In a letter to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Abbott asked the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration to review religious facilities and accommodations at both airports.

“These ablution facilities appear designed to single out one subset of the population for special treatment based on religion. That is illegal,” Abbott said. “Both airports are government-owned facilities. The federal and state constitutions prohibit government from facilitating this sort of discrimination. Just as the government cannot favor the secular over the sacred, it also cannot favor one religious view over all others.”

Abbott’s office said recipients of state grants must certify compliance with laws prohibiting discrimination.

Similar low-level basins and interfaith spaces exist at other major U.S. airports, including Chicago O’Hare, Fox News Digital previously reported.

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Fox News Digital has reached out to Houston Airports and the U.S. Department of Transportation for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Landon Mion contributed to this report.