Federal Court Blocks Texas Redistricting Map for Violating Voting Rights Act
A federal court has blocked Texas from implementing a redrawn U.S. House map that was part of a nationwide redistricting battle and aimed to maintain a Republican majority in the upcoming 2026 elections. The court ruled that the map was racially gerrymandered, reducing the influence of minority voters, and violated the federal Voting Rights Act and the U.S. Constitution. The decision followed a trial in El Paso, Texas, and Texas is expected to appeal directly to the U.S. Supreme Court.
A coalition of civil rights groups representing Black and Hispanic voters argued that the new map would diminish the power of minority voters. The judges granted their request to block the map's use, indicating that the critics have a strong chance of winning their case at trial. The ruling was made by a majority of judges appointed by Presidents Trump and Obama, with a dissenting opinion from an appointee of President Reagan.
The redistricting in Texas was driven by a letter from the U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division, directing Texas to redraw four districts that violated the Voting Rights Act. Republicans in Texas openly stated that they were redrawing districts to benefit their party. The new map would have likely resulted in more Republican seats in Congress, according to the ruling.
The court found that the new map aimed to create more majority-Hispanic and majority-Black districts, dismantling coalition districts where minority voters together outnumbered non-Hispanic white voters. The ruling highlighted the intentional manipulation of district lines to achieve racial objectives. The Texas Attorney General's office did not immediately respond to the ruling.
The redistricting battle in Texas and other states has been described as a power grab by Trump to prevent a congressional check on him, according to Democrats. The new map reduced the number of congressional districts where minorities are the majority of voting-age citizens and eliminated coalition districts. The goal was to secure more Republican seats in Congress, potentially impacting the balance of power in the House.