Texas Gov. Abbott asks DOJ to investigate wash stations at DFW Airport, IAH - Dallas News

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has asked the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate Islamic ritual washing stations already in use at DFW International Airport and Houston's Bush Intercontinental Airport, escalating a dispute that started just last week.

The fight began after a proposed plan to build additional wash stations at DFW's Terminal D surfaced online and drew sharp reactions. Abbott had already referred that expansion plan to the U.S. Department of Transportation, and DFW scrapped the proposal shortly after. Now Abbott is pushing further, targeting wash stations that have been operating for some time inside Terminal D's interfaith chapel, not just the ones that were proposed.

For Lubbock travelers who fly out through DFW, which is the most common connecting hub out of Lubbock Preston Smith International, this means the airport they pass through regularly is at the center of a fast-moving political and legal fight. The DOJ request signals Abbott intends to challenge existing airport infrastructure, not just future construction.

The wash stations are used for ritual cleansing that is standard religious practice. DFW's interfaith chapel serves travelers of multiple faiths, and the stations have been part of that facility without public controversy until this week.

Abbott launched a new front in this dispute in a matter of days, raising the question of how far the review will extend.