Rep. Chip Roy used a House Judiciary Committee hearing titled “Sharia-Free America” to outline his argument that Islamic law is incompatible with the U.S. Constitution, situating his remarks within a broader congressional effort he is leading to oppose what he describes as the growing influence of Sharia law in the United States.
Speaking during the hearing, Roy argued that the principles of Sharia conflict with foundational elements of the American legal system. He said Sharia “fails to include due process, treats non-Muslims as second-class citizens, and prescribes barbaric punishments,” while permitting practices such as polygamy and corporal punishment. Roy also asserted that Sharia “encourages violence, silences dissent, rejects religious freedom, and subjugates women and children,” framing his remarks as a critique of what he described as a legal code rather than a religion itself.
Rep. Roy in opening statement on the threat of Sharia law: "Sharia encourages violence, silences dissent, rejects religious freedom and subjugates women and children. Let's be clear, this is not about having the freedom of worshiping a religion of one's choosing, such as Islam,… pic.twitter.com/DstmKdXi4T
— Rep. Chip Roy Press Office (@RepChipRoy) February 10, 2026
Roy emphasized that his position was not directed at individual religious belief. “This is not about having the freedom of worshiping a religion of one’s choosing, such as Islam,” he said, but about opposing “forcing a foreign legal code that is incompatible with our laws and legal system” onto the United States. He argued that such an imposition would run counter to the country’s constitutional framework and the principles the nation has defended since its founding.
During the hearing, Roy placed his argument in a historical context, referencing the early 19th-century Barbary Wars. He cited the experiences of U.S. envoys John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, recounting their confrontation with the Barbary States over attacks on American shipping and the enslavement of sailors. Roy quoted an account attributed to Tripoli’s ambassador, who told U.S. representatives that it was written in the Quran that nations not acknowledging Islamic authority were considered sinners and could be attacked and enslaved. Roy said the conflict illustrated an early recognition by American leaders of what he described as the dangers posed by Islamist legal and political systems.
Roy concluded that the issue identified by early American leaders remains relevant today, arguing that “Islamists are forcing their legal code onto non-believers by violence or the threat of it, by any means necessary.” He said Congress has a responsibility to recognize and confront that threat in the present day.
The hearing followed the formal establishment of the Sharia Free America Caucus, which Roy co-founded with Rep. Keith Self. The caucus was launched on December 18, 2025, and has grown to include 26 members from 17 states. Roy and Self have described the group as an effort to defend what they characterize as the nation’s Judeo-Christian heritage and the principles of Western civilization.
In remarks made outside the hearing, Roy framed the caucus as part of a broader defensive effort. “You cannot engage in what is a political effort to Islamify the United States of America and not expect us to fight back,” he said, adding that Sharia is “inconsistent with the Constitution of the United States, the Declaration, and the rule of law in our country.”
Rep. Roy: "You can believe whatever you want, but you cannot engage in what is a political effort to Islamify the United States of America and not expect us to fight back."
— Rep. Chip Roy Press Office (@RepChipRoy) February 9, 2026
Tomorrow, Rep. Roy leads a @JudiciaryGOP hearing on the threat posed by Sharia law.
Tune in:… pic.twitter.com/IdtVsdugJv
Roy has said the caucus will pursue specific legislative goals, including efforts to prohibit the application of Sharia law in U.S. courts, restrict tax benefits for organizations linked to terrorist activity, and pause certain immigration processes until they can be evaluated for consistency with constitutional standards. He argued that such measures are necessary to prevent the emergence of what he described as “no-go zones” and to ensure public safety, particularly for women.
Rep. Self echoed those themes in a statement announcing the caucus, saying that preserving the American way of life is essential to protecting civil liberties and upholding the Constitution. He described Sharia as standing “in direct opposition” to individual freedom and the nation’s founding principles.
Roy has repeatedly framed the initiative as a continuation of historical struggles to defend American sovereignty and values. “Our ancestors bled and died so that we could live in a country like this,” he said, warning against what he described as misapplying the Constitution to justify abandoning long-standing national principles.
