An Islamic institution operating in North Texas has been sued by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for illegally presenting itself as a university in the state.
The Texas American Muslim University at Dallas (TexAM) is a Muslim university in Richardson, Texas, that opened in October 2025 in the fall semester. The university offered five bachelor’s degree programs, including computer science, information tech, cyber security, health informatics, and STEM-integrated Islamic studies. The coursework also included mandatory Islamic studies classes.
TexasAM had been offering degrees despite not being issued a Certificate of Authority required to operate a private postsecondary institution in the state. The institution also promoted a business office in Collin County, operated a campus in Richardson, and solicited students online and overseas to attend the school, according to the lawsuit.
Additionally, the entity’s nonprofit corporate charter was forfeited in February 2026. Despite that, the institution announced plans to enroll students for the spring 2026 semester, offering bachelor’s degrees in information technology, computer science, and health informatics, as well as master’s degrees in artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.
In March, TexAM posted that it “is proud to be the first university in the United States to offer STEM degree programs embedded with mandatory courses in Islamic Studies,” according to Paxton’s lawsuit.
After increased concern about the institution soliciting its degrees to unexpected students, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board sent TexAM a cease-and-desist letter at the direction of Gov. Greg Abbott.
The letter demanded that TexAM cease all of its operations and stated that because it “has never been granted a Certificate of Authority to operate in Texas, it is prohibited from offering to grant degrees or courses leading to a degree.”
The board also directed TexAM to halt all advertising and student enrollment, warning that failure to comply would result in a referral to the Texas Attorney General’s office for prosecution.
TexAM was also hit with another cease-and-desist letter from Texas A&M University demanding that the entity “immediately stop using names, marks, domains and branding elements that infringe upon or dilute Texas A&M’s trademarks.”
Following both letters, Paxton filed a lawsuit against TexAM and three individuals associated with its operations: Shahid A. Bajwa, identified as a partner and chief executive officer; Bilal Piracha, a partner; and Arsalan Shahzad, also a partner.
Paxton is asking the court to halt the entity’s operations, issue a temporary restraining order barring the defendants from operating a private postsecondary institution in Texas without proper authorization, and impose civil penalties exceeding $1 million for violations of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act and the Texas Education Code.
“TexAM has repeatedly disregarded Texas law, misrepresented its authority to grant degrees, and risked deceiving students about its legitimacy,” said Paxton. “My office will not allow illegal, unaccredited degree mills to operate in Texas.”
