Justice Department sues Texas over redistricting maps, claiming Voting Rights Act violations

The Justice Department on Monday sued Texas over its new redistricting maps, arguing the new congressional and state legislative districts were drawn to dilute the electoral representation of Latino and Black voters in violation of the Voting Rights Act. This is at least the fifth lawsuit challenging the new districts, drawn by Republicans in the state Legislature, on racial discrimination grounds.
The Justice Department noted that while 95 percent of the population growth that allowed Texas to claim two new congressional districts came from Latino, Black, and Asian residents — half of the state's 4 million new inhabitants over the past decade were Hispanic — the number of Latino-majority districts shrank from eight to seven, and the number of majority Black districts withered from one to zero.
"Texas has had to defend its maps in court after every redistricting process since the Voting Rights Act took effect in 1965," The Associated Press reports. "But this will be the first time since a 2013 U.S. Supreme Court ruling gutted a provision of the Voting Rights Act that had required Texas and other states with a history of racial discrimination to have the Justice Department approve the maps before they went into effect," a process known as preclearance.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"Were that preclearance tool still in place, we would likely not be here today announcing this complaint," Attorney General Merrick Garland said in announcing the lawsuit, filed in federal court in the Western District of Texas.
"Republicans redrew congressional districts in the area with almost surgical precision, stranding urban and suburban voters of color in vast rural districts," The Texas Tribune reports. "Throughout the redistricting process, Republicans argued their maps comply with federal laws protecting voters of color from discrimination, though they declined to offer specifics about their legal analysis."
A spokeswoman for Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R), Renae Eze, said the governor is "confident that Texas' redistricting plans will be upheld by the courts" from interference by "Democrats in Washington." Former Rep. Beto O'Rourke (D), who is challenging Abbott next year, tweeted that "Texas leaders would rather gerrymander election maps and hand pick their own voters than earn their place in power by listening and responding to the needs of Texans."
The Supreme Court gave the green light to partisan gerrymandering in 2019, but racial gerrymandering still violates federal law.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Will California’s Proposition 50 kill gerrymandering reform?
Talking Points Or is opposing Trump the greater priority for voters?
-
‘The trickle of shutdowns could soon become a flood’
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Wikipedia: Is ‘neutrality’ still possible?
Feature Wikipedia struggles to stay neutral as conservatives accuse the site of being left-leaning
-
Trump demands millions from his administration
Speed Read The president has requested $230 million in compensation from the Justice Department for previous federal investigations
-
Trump nominee in limbo after racist texts leak
Speed Read Paul Ingrassia lost Republican support following the exposure of past racist text messages
-
Trump begins East Wing demolition for ballroom
speed read The president’s new construction will cost $250 million
-
Appeals court clears Trump’s Portland troop deployment
Speed Read A divided federal appeals court ruled that President Trump can send the National Guard to Portland
-
Millions turn out for anti-Trump ‘No Kings’ rallies
Speed Read An estimated 7 million people participated, 2 million more than at the first ‘No Kings’ protest in June
-
DOJ indicts John Bolton over classified files
Speed Read Continuing the trend of going after his political enemies, Trump prosecutes his former national security adviser
-
Trump, Putin set summit as Zelenskyy lands in DC
Speed Read Trump and Putin have agreed to meet in Budapest soon to discuss ending the war in Ukraine
-
Courts deal setbacks to Trump’s Chicago operations
Speed Read President Donald Trump cannot deploy the National Guard in Illinois