A hotly debated Muslim-centric community development proposed in rural Collin and Hunt Counties has hit another legal roadblock. Attorneys for the state and a municipal utility district for the project faced off in a temporary injunction hearing Monday morning in Collin County District Court. In March, the Texas Attorney General’s Office, on behalf of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, TCEQ, secured a temporary restraining order against plaintiffs Double R Municipal Utility District No. 2A, Double R MUD for short. The state has accused Double R MUD and its board members of operating “in the shadows” in its quest to provide utility services for the East Plano Islamic Center’s proposed housing and mixed-use project, just north of Josephine. The development, still in planning stages, is set to include schools, parks, hundreds of single-family homes, multi-family residences, as well as commercial and retail businesses, according to documents previously submitted. Collin County Judge Christine A. Nowak in the 493rd Judicial District Court heard arguments from both sides on Monday. Attorneys Wesley Williams and Ian Lancaster for the plaintiff, the state of Texas. Attorney Jerry Hall appeared on behalf of defendants Hatim Mahmoud Yusuf, Nadeem Ashraf Khan, Asim Hussain Khan and Faisal Abbas. Attorney Britton Harris appeared on behalf of only his client, Yaneli Molina. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed suit claiming “a series of actions that appear designed to evade state oversight and support the illegal EPIC real estate development.” The nearly two-hour-long hearing included opening and closing statements and witness testimony before Judge Nowak rendered her decision to continue the TRO, pending a bench trial set for November 16, 2026. Attorney Saba Ahmed attended the hearing to observe, but is not involved in the lawsuit. “I came out here today to observe the hearing. It was pretty sad to watch but I didn’t see many Muslims here,” Ahmed said. “There’s a lot of backlash against the Muslim community coming and I feel like there’s extra scrutiny going on in terms of the board of directors not being qualified just because they don’t own land in that particular district. They are American citizens. They’re over the age of 18. They’re tax-paying citizens.” Justin Taack, manager of TCEQ, testified during the hearing on Monday, explaining that a municipal utility district is created by the state legislature or TCEQ and has a list of requirements for potential board members. The TCEQ confirms it was alerted by Collin County’s engineering department and began an investigation into potential violations involving unqualified board members on the Double R MUD. Taack testified that the TCEQ receives thousands of tips and launches investigations into MUDs in the state when his office receives complaints from the public. The Double R MUD board is accused of holding a clandestine meeting, partially captured on cell phone video shared with the state, in which multiple board members reportedly submitted resignations and named replacements on the spot who also did not meet the criteria to serve on this particular MUD board. The district is also accused of adding land and/or changing boundaries of the project and of submitting deed papers on the same piece of land. Both sides agreed to remove one defendant, intent on resigning from the board from the suit. When asked to comment, Yaneli Molina declined, telling NBC 5: “I do apologize, but I am not interested as I am trying to separate myself from this situation.“ In February, Community Capital Partners (CCP), the developer of The Meadow, issued a statement after Governor Greg Abbott praised the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for launching an investigation into the East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC) for potential violations of the Fair Housing Act. In the statement, Community Capital Partners stated: “The Meadow remains in the early planning and county review phase and is designed as an inclusive, multigenerational community open to residents of all backgrounds… CCP does not discriminate. They do not seek exclusivity. They support equal housing opportunity and religious freedom, both of which are protected under federal and Texas law. CCP will continue to cooperate with lawful investigative processes. CCP will also vigorously defend their rights and insist that government officials honor their agreements and follow the law.“ Ahmed left disappointed but not surprised, saying the level of scrutiny being placed on this specific project is uncalled for. “I would love to see all the qualifications for all the water districts in the state of Texas, whether all of the directors that are appointed or that are signed up, whether they own property, because I don’t think this type of qualifications are done for every single person that is appointed in our water utility districts. But they want to scrutinize Muslims, Muslim Americans, go for it,” she said. “I’m sure we can find tax-paying citizens. We’ll start buying properties in that area and then we will come back on the board and we’ll fight back.” ...read more read less