In a bold stand for voting rights and racial equity, the League of Women Voters, alongside the League of Women Voters of Texas and a coalition of civil rights and racial justice organizations, filed an amicus brief urging federal courts to block Texas’s newly enacted 2025 congressional map. The brief supports plaintiffs in League of United Latin American Citizens, et al. v. State of Texas, et al., and calls for a preliminary injunction to prevent the map from taking effect before the 2026 elections.

The coalition, led by the Legal Defense Fund (LDF), argues that the map is racially discriminatory, particularly against Black and Hispanic voters in key regions like Harris County and the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex. Rather than correcting constitutional flaws in the previous map, the Texas legislature allegedly intensified racial gerrymandering through a rushed and opaque redistricting process.

Joyce LeBombard, president of the League of Women Voters of Texas, emphasized the stakes:

“Instead of providing that opportunity, legislators have manipulated this map by treating Black voters and other voters of color like puzzle pieces to secure political power. The League will always stand up to these injustices and fight for a truly representative democracy in Texas.”

Celina Stewart, CEO of the national League of Women Voters, added:

“Redistricting should always serve the people, not politicians. What is happening in Texas and across the country is not only a political disgrace, but also illegal racial discrimination.”

The brief highlights how the legislature’s mid-decade redistricting, passed during an extraordinary special session, altered 37 of Texas’s 38 congressional districts. The process was criticized for its lack of transparency, minimal public hearings, and disregard for community input. The filing contends that race was the predominant factor in the map’s design, violating constitutional protections.

The amicus brief was filed on behalf of a broad coalition, including:

• Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
• Black Voters Matter
• Houston Area Urban League
• Barbara Jordan Leadership Institute
• Friendship-West Baptist Church
• American Civil Liberties Union
• ACLU of Texas

Together, these organizations issued a joint statement affirming their commitment to equal representation:

“Black voters and other voters of color deserve fair representation, not to be harmed through unlawful maneuvering. The strength of our multiracial democracy in Texas, and across the nation, depends on it.”

As the case moves forward, the plaintiffs and their allies hope the court will intervene to prevent the map’s implementation. With Texas home to the largest number of eligible Black voters in the country, the outcome could have national implications for voting rights and democratic integrity.