A planned Muslim residential community named EPIC City in Texas has received significant media attention, with some Texas officials claiming it will be an Islamic city or governed by Sharia law.
Texas
What is EPIC City, the controversial planned Muslim community in Texas? | The Jerusalem Post
The developers and Muslim American groups deny these claims and say it will be a “Muslim neighborhood” and not a separately-governed space.
So what is true?
EPIC city is a planned large-scale development project in Texas, promoted by a private development group associated with the East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC) area community.
The “city” is a plan to develop a 402-acre tract of land in Hunt and Collin Counties that, when built, will host more than 1,000 residential lots, a faith-based K-12 school, commercial and retail centers, and a mosque. It has now been quietly rebranded “The Meadow.”
It is not a new city, and will not have its own government. It will remain under Texas state law.
Marketing materials lead to HUD investigation
However, marketing materials that promoted the development have referred to it as an exclusively “Muslim community” that will serve as “the epicenter of Islam in America.”
This prompted the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) to launch an investigation to determine whether EPIC City’s plans violated the Fair Housing Act by engaging in religious and national-origin discrimination.
This included reviews into whether the project used discriminatory financial terms that required lot owners to subsidize a mosque and Islamic educational centers.
“It is deeply concerning that the East Plano Islamic Center may have violated the Fair Housing Act and participated in religious discrimination,” said HUD Secretary Scott Turner.
“As HUD Secretary, I will not stand for illegal religious or national origin discrimination in housing and will ensure that this matter receives a thorough investigation so that this community is open to all Texans.”
Texas state officials, Governor Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton, have been repeatedly attempting to block the project, believing it to be a potential for Sharia law.
Paxton has filed multiple active lawsuits against them, including for securities fraud and illegal maneuvers involving their municipal utility district. These are multiple separate cases, and there is no single unified case against EPIC City.
Abbott has already directed multiple state agencies to get to the bottom of it. He claimed that the Texas Rangers also opened up a criminal investigation.
“Sharia law is not allowed in Texas,” he has said on multiple occasions.
Last week, Travis County District Judge Amy Clark Meachum ruled that the Texas Workforce Commission must honor a settlement agreement and back off its fair housing scrutiny of EPIC City.
This was after EPIC filed an underlying lawsuit to force the Texas Workforce Commission (“TWC”) to approve certain fair housing documents despite an ongoing federal investigation involving EPIC.
Abbott, however, said on X/Twitter Thursday, “This erroneous court ruling has already been appealed and halted. Additionally, the so-called city is the subject of other litigation and countless investigations. It will never see the light of day.”
Paxton has appealed the ruling, suspending the temporary injunction pending appeal, and ensuring that the Texas Workforce Commission will not be forced to take unlawful action while the case proceeds.
“Following my appeal of the flawed ruling that would have required the Texas Workforce Commission to unlawfully approve fair housing documents for EPIC, I am glad to see that the developers will not receive such services as this lawsuit is proceeding,” said Attorney General Paxton.
“EPIC city developers have sought out any possible way to evade the law and further their development scheme. I will be relentless in ensuring that any attempt by EPIC City to move its development forward in violation of the law is stopped.”
On the same day, a state court judge in Collin County temporarily blocked further actions by a utility district slated to serve EPIC City.
“The state is just asking for a pause until we can figure out what’s going on,” Wesley Williams with the Texas attorney general’s office told Judge Nowak. “There’s a lot of secrecy surrounding this board.”
The Texas chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Texas) has, however, defended the project and called the allegations against it “Islamophobic witch hunts and politically driven regulatory harassment.”
In a statement on Thursday, CAIR-Tx said: “For over a year, state leaders have abused their authority in a bigoted attempt to deny Texas Muslims their constitutional right to develop an inclusive, family-oriented community.”
“We applaud the court for holding state agencies accountable and recognizing that the law applies equally to everyone, including the State of Texas.”
According to archived materials found by The Jerusalem Post, the project has moved from public-facing to more private over the last year, likely due to the public scrutiny.
While its website is currently inactive, its February 2023 site described the project as “a safe purpose-built community to serve the growing needs of the Muslim community.”
In the investor pitch, now also not available, it said that anyone wishing to purchase a lot must note that the “price of the lots covers land purchase cost, land development of roads and utilities, construction of EPIC 2.0 Masjid [mosque], and Construction of EPIC QCA School.
It also said that while many owners are free to choose any financing institution they prefer, “to provide convenience for our investors, we are working with Islamic Financing companies to ensure that Islamic Financing is available.”
Elsewhere, the terms and conditions say the developer intends to donate portions of the Land to EPIC for the mosque and the private school, and also intends to donate to EPIC 100% of the net proceeds from the sale of Lots to the mosque.
The developer is essentially saying: “We will build the infrastructure, sell the lots, and give the profits and some land to EPIC to support its mosque and school.”
None of this is outright illegal. However, it becomes illegal if people are excluded based on religion. Any project must also comply with fair housing, zoning, and development regulations.
What does this mean? A project cannot require buyers to be Muslim, it cannot exclude non-Muslims, it cannot advertise it as “Muslim-only housing,” and it cannot enforce religious membership as a condition of ownership.
Additionally, if buyers are indirectly funding a religious institution through land purchases, regulators may assess whether risks are clearly disclosed and whether profits are properly marketed.
It is this aspect that Abbott and Paxton have been investigating.
One of the main figures, the face of the project, is Yasir Qadhi (formerly Abu Ammaar Yasir Qadhi), who is both the dean of The Islamic Seminary of America and resident scholar of the East Plano Islamic Center.
A former Salafist, he was criticized in 2010 for saying “Hitler never intended to mass-destroy the Jews” and “that Hitler never actually intended to massacre the Jews, he actually wanted to expel them to neighboring lands.” He later apologized for this and went on a trip to Auschwitz as part of a delegation.
Regarding EPIC City, Qadhi said it will be a “role model community of thousands of Muslims living well-integrated.”
“We are not forming a cult. We’re not forming big barriers between the rest of society. We’re going to be giving back to this state and this country, and we’re going to be showing what it means to be a Muslim neighborhood.”
A man in Texas, suspicious about his newly acquired truck, decided to take a look inside. To his surprise, he found a GPS tracker that was monitoring his every move. As expected, people online reacted as they normally do: a collective meltdown.
The man in question is none other than David Allen, also known as ToTouchAnEmu. He is a very popular content creator who has over 9.8 million followers on TikTok alone.
And while he shares a wide variety of content, one of his latest videos addresses this apparent breach of privacy. He detailed how he was surprised and overwhelmed as he went through the terms and conditions after purchasing his new truck.
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His dealer had signed him up and paid for a one-year subscription to CarRx, a platform and mobile app that monitors vehicles’ data. David, however, was not too thrilled to find out exactly what that meant.
Tracking Everything
For starters, he showed that, under the terms and conditions, CarRx would sell all collected information to third parties. David was not too worried about that.
Instead, he showed all the data that the platform collects from vehicles. Understandably, he was shocked.
Monitored information includes the car’s VIN, mileage, oil and battery status, fuel, and charging history. The platform can also track a vehicle’s location, speed, crash detection alerts, braking events, and even camera image and sensor data.
Finding the Tracker
David, still astounded by the revelation, knew that something was fishy. He asked, “I start thinking, how do they know all that information about my car if they don’t have some sort of GPS tracker on it?”
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And to no one’s surprise, and thanks to a Google search, it turns out that there was, in fact, a tracker installed in David’s truck. And not willing to let it slide, the man got to work immediately.
The Texas man searched for the tracker near the OBD port. He noticed a Y-cable right below it and found the tracker connected to it. The tracker had an IMEI, meaning that it had a SIM card in it, so tracking is pretty much a guarantee.
Viewers React Accordingly
Of course, David’s video caused a multitude of reactions. Some took issue with how he labeled his SUV a truck, but most viewers were worried about their privacy.
“We need data privacy laws stat!” one said. Another one commented, “This isn’t new, unfortunately. I used to work for GM; they track everything. In real time.”
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The latter comment seemed to echo the majority of reactions. Other users, former car dealership employees themselves, said the exact same thing.
If you want more stories like this, follow Guessing Headlights on Yahoo so you don’t miss what’s coming next.
Texas
Texas Rangers investigating City of Trinidad after water issues, controversial arrests, firings
Trinidad officials mum on Texas Rangers’ investigation
The Texas Rangers are investigating the City of Trinidad following controversial arrests and public water issues, but city officials still have yet to comment to FOX 4 about the investigation. FOX 4’s David Sentendrey has more.
TRINIDAD, Texas – After controversial arrests, alleged retaliatory firings and a litany of water issues, the Texas Rangers are investigating the City of Trinidad.
What we know:
The Texas Rangers confirmed to FOX 4 they have begun an investigation into the City of Trinidad.
“We can confirm the Texas Rangers are investigating. As this is an active investigation, we have no further information to provide,” the Texas Rangers said to FOX 4 in a statement.
Dig deeper:
The law enforcement agency’s investigation comes as multiple lawsuits have been filed against the city over retaliatory firings and controversial arrests related to the city’s water quality issues.
This week, former Trinidad City Administrator and Secretary Lindsey Patterson filed a lawsuit against the city, claiming she had “no record of discipline” when she was terminated in Feb. 2026.
Patterson’s suit claims she was fired after reporting to the Trinidad Police Department that “public funds belonging to the city were being held by private individuals.”
Former Trinidad City Administrator Lindsey Patterson
Trinidad’s current City Administrator, Cynthia Dosier, has been listed as a defendant in several of the lawsuits. She has not returned FOX 4’s request for comment since our first report.
On Friday, FOX 4’s David Sentendrey attempted to speak to Dosier at her office in Trinidad. Dosier had no comment when asked about the Texas Rangers’ investigation.
“It’s way bigger than just water”
What they’re saying:
Trinidad Mayor Dennis Haws previously called for an investigation by the Texas Rangers into the city’s now-public issues. He tells Sentendrey he’s glad that’s finally happening.
“I wanted people here to know that there is going to be transparency at the end of this,” Haws said.
“We need to know that our office is in order and I think the best way to do that is with a third party having eyes on it and finding out what really is going on here.”
Trinidad Mayor Dennis Haws
The investigation wouldn’t have come without Henderson County resident Jennifer Combs’ arrest for a Facebook post concerning the city’s water quality.
“To tell the story to someone they would think you were crazy. You know what I mean?”
She says she’s glad the Texas Rangers are investigating, but that the root of the issue remains: the city’s water issues.
“I’m just ready for all of it to calm down and what’s going to happen is gonna happen, and the rest needs to be done so we can get back to the real issues of fixing the water. People deserve clean water.”
Trinidad Water Saga
Timeline:
The saga in Trinidad, which claims less than 800 residents, began in May following Combs’ arrest over the city’s water issues.
Combs’ post stated that people had been hospitalized after drinking the city’s water. FOX 4 has not verified that anyone in Trinidad was hospitalized from drinking the city’s water.
A Henderson County grand jury declined to indict Combs, who has since filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Trinidad and Gregory which alleges she was arrested in “an act of deliberate political retaliation.”
Since our initial report, FOX 4 has continued to receive images of dirty and discolored water from the residents of Trinidad.
Trinidad officials have admitted the city has struggled to keep its water clean. Combs said the water “looks like the Trinity River.”
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) confirmed to FOX 4 it received a complaint regarding the water quality in Trinidad, and that an investigation is ongoing.
Woman arrested after Facebook post over water concerns
A woman in Henderson County was arrested earlier this month after she made a Facebook post about concerning water issues in the small town of Trinidad. FOX 4’s David Sentendrey sat down with the woman to hear her side of the story.
One day after FOX 4’s initial report on Combs, citizen journalist Winston Noles protested outside Trinidad City Hall with a sign with expletives targeting “bad cops.”
Noles was arrested and charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct for the sign. The Trinidad Municipal Judge, Shellena Bivens, later dismissed the charge.
On Wednesday, May 27, Alex Estrada and Colby Reyes, two former Trinidad employees, filed a lawsuit against the city claiming the city administrator fired them without cause.
Reyes, the former Trinidad Water Clerk, says in the lawsuit that she was fired because she “refused to lie” on behalf of Gregory and City Administrator Dosier.
Reyes’ lawsuit claims Gregory publicly fabricated a story that Reyes was frightened by Noles in order to arrest him, in which Reyes says she put in writing she was “never offended” by Noles.
A law firm representing Estrada and Reyes and Consumer Wellness Center Labs are organizing free independent water testing for people on Trinidad’s water supply as the TCEQ investigation continues.
At a May 28 Trinidad City Council meeting, Judge Bivens was fired as the city’s municipal judge. The issue of water quality in Trinidad was never addressed.
Gregory, who made his first public comments since FOX 4 initially reported on the story, said he had “nothing to hide” in relation to Combs and Noles’ arrests.
Trinidad Mayor Dennis Haws suggested to Sentendrey that the Texas Rangers should investigate the city and its police department after the recent arrests and water issues have come to light.
Bivens is considering legal action against Trinidad, with her attorney saying her firing was unjust. “I’m a good judge. I’m a damn good judge,” Bivens told Sentendrey.
In June, a family in Trinidad alleged that after showering with the city’s water, their teenage daughter suffered a chemical burn.
An attorney for the family provided a preliminary water test strip result that showed “dangerous” free chlorine levels in the Logan family’s water. It remains unclear if Trinidad’s recent water treatment led to the Logans’ daughter’s rash.
A planned meeting for Thursday, June 4 to give an update on the city’s attempts to fix their water quality issues was canceled. Mayor Haws said he did not receive a reason for the cancellation, though a small protest took place outside the planned meeting.
Gregory resigned from his position as Trinidad Police Chief following the multiple controversies. His final day with the department was June 19.
Gregory has declined interview requests from FOX 4, citing pending lawsuits.
Following news of Gregory’s resignation, the Trinidad judge who approved the arrest warrant for Combs wrote a scathing letter against him and his police department.
McKee’s letter questions “the accuracy, completeness, and reliability of information presented” to him by two Trinidad police officers in relation to Combs’ arrest warrant.
What’s next:
Interim Trinidad Police Chief Cameron Beckham told Sentendrey over the phone he has a meeting with the Texas Rangers in the next few weeks and plans to fully cooperate with their investigation.
The Source: Information in this story comes from the Texas Rangers, the City of Trinidad and previous FOX 4 reporting.
An investigation is underway after the Lewisville Police Department said a fetus was found deceased along the Lewisville Lake shoreline Friday morning.
Police said a resident called them to report the discovery around 8 a.m. near Lake Park Road. Officers then began searching for evidence alongside investigators from the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office. The scene has since been cleared.
The department said the fetus appeared to have been between five and six months of gestation and appeared to have been intentionally discarded along the shoreline. The medical examiner’s office is now working to determine identity and other characteristics.
Anyone with further information is asked to contact Detective Craig Holleman by emailing cholleman@cityoflewisville.com or by calling 972-219-3620. Anonymous tips can also be shared with the Denton County Crime Stoppers online or by calling 1-800-388-TIPS.
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