The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) has filed a lawsuit against Texas over a new congressional map recently approved by the state legislature. The organization says the map discriminates against voters of color and violates the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
The lawsuit, which updates a previous case against the state, claims that the new congressional map, along with state Senate and House maps drawn after the 2020 census, “dilute the voting strength of voters of color and deny them the opportunity to elect preferred candidates of their choice… and were drawn by legislators and adopted by the Governor for the express purpose of impermissibly discriminating against voters of color” in violation of the U.S. Constitution and the Voting Rights Act.
Filed on Tuesday, the suit also argues that Texas lawmakers did not allow enough public comment or feedback on the maps before approving them.
“It’s quite obvious that Texas’s effort to redistrict mid-decade, before next year’s midterm elections, is racially motivated. The state’s intent here is to reduce the members of Congress who represent Black communities, and that, in and of itself, is unconstitutional,” NAACP president and CEO Derrick Johnson said in a statement.
The lawsuit asks a court to declare that the new map “was enacted with an impermissible and controlling discriminatory purpose on the basis of race” and to prevent Texas from enforcing the new boundaries.
Republicans who support the map have said it is based on political performance and other factors. The map has not yet been signed into law.
The suit names Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson as defendants. ABC News has contacted their offices for comment.
Last week, the Texas legislature approved a Republican-favored map that could turn five districts red by combining Democratic seats in Houston, Austin, and Dallas-Fort Worth into new Republican-leaning districts, and by making two Rio Grande Valley districts more competitive.
The NAACP’s lawsuit is among the first legal challenges to the new map. Other lawsuits against Texas congressional maps have also been updated to argue that the maps are discriminatory, according to the Texas Tribune.
The NAACP also said it supports other states redrawing their maps in response to Texas.
“At this time, the NAACP is urging California, New York, and all other states to act immediately by redistricting and passing new, lawful, and constitutional electoral maps,” the group wrote. “We must counter Texas’ unconstitutional move and ensure that if all else fails, Black Americans still have a voice in Congress.”
