A U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) lawsuit filed Dec. 6 against Texas alleges the state violated a federal law protecting minority voters when finalizing its redistricting maps.
The plan allegedly violates Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, a law established in 1965 to protect the U.S. democratic process from racial discimination, according to guidance on the law published by DOJ. The suit states the current redistricting maps would result in minority voters having less opportunity to elect legislators of their choice, a DOJ press release said.
“Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act requires that state voting laws – including laws that draw electoral maps – provide eligible voters with an equal opportunity to participate in the democratic process and elect representatives of their choosing,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in the release.
The suit states the maps in Texas will specifically impact the rights of Latino and Black voters.
“The complaint we filed today alleges that Texas has violated Section 2 by creating redistricting plans that deny or abridge the rights of Latino and black voters to vote on account of their race, color or membership in a language minority group,” Garland said in the release.
The office of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton tweeted a response Dec. 6, calling the lawsuit “absurd.”
“The Department of Justice's absurd lawsuit against our state is the Biden Administration's latest ploy to control Texas voters,” the tweet said. “I am confident that our legislature's redistricting decisions will be proven lawful, and this preposterous attempt to sway democracy will fail.”
Texas completed its redistricting process when Gov. Greg Abbott signed the new maps into law Oct. 25. At that time, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick praised the action, calling the map both “legal and fair” in a statement from his office.
Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta has since asserted they were drawn with “discriminatory intent.”
“Texas’ 2021 redistricting plans were enacted through a rushed process, with minimal opportunity for public comment, without any expert testimony, and with an overall disregard for the massive minority population growth in Texas over the last decade,” Gupta said in a briefing transcribed by the DOJ. “Texas’ population grew by 4 million people from 2010 to 2020, and 95% of that growth came from minority populations. Despite this significant increase in the number and proportion of eligible Latino and Black voters in Texas, the newly enacted redistricting plans will not allow minority voters an equal opportunity to elect representatives of their choice.”
