LULAC FEDERAL CASE BEGINS CHALLENGING TEXAS REDISTRICTING THAT DILUTES VOTER POWER OF LATINOS AND BLACKS

Nation's Oldest and Largest Latino Civil Rights Organization Is Lead Plaintiff in Landmark Legal Action in El Paso with NAACP to Counter Deliberate Gerrymandering

EL PASO, TX – The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) issued a statement today as a landmark federal trial begins in El Paso to determine whether the State of Texas has once again violated federal law by drawing legislative maps that dilute Latino and Black political power.

The case—brought by LULAC, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), NAACP and the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law—argues that Texas' redistricting plan, adopted after the 2020 Census, unlawfully minimizes the ability of Latino voters to elect candidates of their choice by employing tactics historically referred to as "pack and crack": packing large numbers of Latino voters into a small number of districts or cracking them across several districts to weaken their collective influence.

From 2010 to 2020, Texas added nearly 4 million residents. Latinos accounted for over half of that growth—1.98 million people—while the Anglo population grew by just 187,000. Yet, despite this seismic demographic shift, the state's Republican-controlled Legislature reduced the number of Latino-majority citizen voting age (CVAP) districts in both the State House and congressional maps and failed to create any new Latino-majority districts even as Texas gained two new congressional seats. Instead, both new seats were drawn as Anglo-majority districts.

"Texas cannot continue to ignore the reality that Latino families are the future of this state," said Roman Palomares, LULAC National President and Chairman of the Board. "Redistricting should be a process of fair representation, not political exclusion. Time and again, Texas has resorted to racial gerrymandering, suppressing the voice of our community. This issue concerns not just maps but power, dignity, and equal protection under the law. LULAC will not stand by while our rights are packed into a corner or cracked into pieces. Every vote must count the same—whether cast by a Latino voter in Harris County or an Anglo voter in the Panhandle. We believe in encouraging civic participation, not erasing it," said Palomares.

LULAC notes that this is not the first time Texas has faced federal judgment for intentional discrimination. In Abbott v. Perez (2018), the U.S. Supreme Court found the state's redistricting plan constituted an impermissible racial gerrymander. And in League of United Latin American Citizens v. Perry (2006), the Court ruled that Texas weakened Latino voting strength in West Texas in violation of the Voting Rights Act.

Despite these decisions, the 2021 redistricting again reduced the number of Hispanic CVAP majority State House districts from 33 to 30 and weakened Latino voting strength in key districts such as HD118. Despite overwhelming Latino growth, the state also failed to draw new Latino-majority districts in major urban centers like Dallas-Fort Worth and Harris County.

"Texas is experiencing a historic transformation. Latinos are now the backbone of the population growth driving this state forward—economically, culturally, and socially," said Ray Mancera, LULAC National Board Member and Vice President for the Southwest. "Yet, instead of being empowered at the ballot box, our communities are being surgically sidelined through deliberate and discriminatory redistricting. Gerrymandering isn't about fairness; it's about fear. The fear of what happens when Latino voices are finally heard in full force. This trial is about holding Texas accountable and demanding what our democracy promises: one person, one vote, with equal strength," he added.

The federal trial, expected to last several weeks, will determine whether the redistricting plans enacted by the Texas Legislature in 2021 violate Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. The plaintiffs argue that the effect of these maps is discriminatory and, in many cases, so was the intent, despite the state's claims of partisan motivations.

LULAC reaffirms its commitment to ensuring that the political power of Latino voters in Texas is not diminished. In a state where Latinos have fueled 95% of the population growth, democracy must reflect demographic reality, not partisan manipulation.

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About League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)

The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is the nation's oldest and largest Latino civil rights organization. Founded in 1929, LULAC is committed to advancing the rights and opportunities of Latino Americans through advocacy, community building, and education. With a growing network of councils nationwide, LULAC remains steadfast in its mission to protect and empower millions of Latinos, contributing daily to America's prosperity. For more information about LULAC and its initiatives, please visit https://lulac.org/.