HOUSTON – Gov. Greg Abbott is directing a review of state grants connected to two of Texas’ largest airports, including George Bush Intercontinental Airport, over religious accommodations he argues may violate state and federal nondiscrimination laws.
Abbott announced the review Friday, Aug. 14, saying his office will examine grants awarded to entities that operate George Bush Intercontinental Airport and Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport for possible revocation of active grants or denial of future funding.
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The governor also referred both airports to the U.S. Department of Transportation for investigation and enforcement. (Texas.gov)
At the center of the dispute are ablution facilities, which provide Muslims a place to perform ritual washing before prayer.
Bush Airport already has an ablution room and adjoining prayer room in Terminal D near Gate D15. Houston Airports opened the facility in February 2024.
Abbott argues dedicated washing facilities like these improperly favor one religion.
“These ablution facilities appear designed to single out one subset of the population for special treatment based on religion. That is illegal,” Abbott said in announcing the review.
Abbott argues that because IAH and DFW are government-owned airports, they must provide equal treatment to different religious beliefs. (Texas.gov)
The controversy initially intensified after plans surfaced for DFW Airport to add two additional ablution washing stations to existing restrooms on the pre-security side of Terminal D.
Following increased public attention and Abbott’s announcement, DFW said Friday it would not move forward with the proposed project.
Houston’s situation is different because the ablution facility at Bush Airport is already built and operating.
What is ablution?
Maria Kari, a human rights lawyer and active member of the Houston Muslim community spoke with KPRC2 about what ablution means and why the washing facilities are used.
Ablution, also known as wudu, is a ritual cleansing Muslims perform before prayer.
“We pray five times a day, and before each prayer, we’ll wash our hands or arms, our face, and our feet under running water,” Kari said.
She said there is both a hygienic and spiritual purpose behind the practice.
“There’s the hygiene piece of it, but also it’s a physical marker that you’re about to enter into a spiritual state,” Kari said.
Kari compared the practice to physical rituals observed in other faith traditions, such as removing shoes before entering certain houses of worship.
She said a dedicated ablution basin can also make the process safer and more accessible.
Without one, Kari said Muslims may attempt to perform the washing at a standard bathroom sink, requiring them to lift their feet into a basin that may be around hip height.
“That can be physically awkward or even impossible for older folks or disabled folks,” Kari said. “It can make the floor around you really wet, which is dangerous.”
She said lower washing basins allow Muslim travelers and airport employees to prepare for prayer more easily.
“For somebody on a 14-hour journey, this can be the difference between them being able to pray or not,” Kari said.
Kari told KPRC2 she has personally used ablution facilities and interfaith prayer areas while traveling with her children.
She disagrees with Abbott’s characterization of the facilities as preferential treatment.
“Having a wash basin that’s at a lower height than a standard sink is not exclusionary. It’s just accommodation,” Kari said. “It’s a sink with taps that anybody can use.”
Abbott maintains the facilities may constitute unlawful religious favoritism and says entities receiving state grants must comply with laws prohibiting discrimination. (Texas.gov)
“It’s about who gets to feel welcome in Texas,” Kari said.
Kari said she believes the debate goes beyond the physical washing basins.
“This is not about plumbing. It’s about who gets to feel welcome in Texas,” she said.
What happens to the existing facility at IAH?
KPRC 2 has reached out to Gov. Abbott’s Office for a response.
The City of Houston and IAH released the statement below:
“The ablution room at the George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) was developed and approved by the previous administration of Mayor Sylvester Turner.
The room started operating during Mayor John Whitmire’s administration as part of an international expansion program at IAH.
The IAH international expansion program was paid for by fees charged to the international airlines. City taxpayer funds were not used to build this facility, nor federal or state grants either.
The ablution room and adjoining prayer room are open to all travelers, employees and stakeholders with access to Terminal D, regardless of faith. Nobody receives preferential access, and nobody is excluded.
The ablution room allows Muslim travelers, as well as other travelers whose religion requires ritual washing prior to prayer, to do so in this facility.
The ablution room leads into a prayer room. Prior to the development of the dedicated washing station, travelers often used restroom sinks and other public water facilities for personal washing needs, highlighting the need for a more appropriate and designated space.
In addition to the ablution room, IAH has interfaith chapels. These facilities serve travelers of all faiths and beliefs. Therefore, their operations do not entail any discriminatory actions.
For decades, IAH and most other airports have offered interfaith chapels throughout the airports to meet the spiritual needs of travelers.
The facilities at IAH have always been non-denominational and open to all. These facilities provide services requested by passengers departing for the Middle East, specifically including the washing station.
IAH is a global gateway, as it connects Houston to five continents via more than 200 nonstop routes.
In 2025, Emirates Airlines, Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines carried approximately 366,000 departing passengers from IAH, accounting for 22% of all international travelers departing from Terminal D. The ablution room was created in response to passenger requests and serves a practical need.”