‘Surgically excised minority communities’: DOJ announces it’s suing Texas over gerrymandered redistricting maps

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland hasa just announced the Dept. of Justice is suing the State of Texas for violating the Voting Rights Act.

AG Garland in a news briefing says Black and Latino voters were gerrymandered out of representation despite their increased numbers in the state.

Attorney General Merrick Garland announces DOJ is suing Texas for redistricting plans discriminating against “Latino and Black voters to vote on account of their race, color or membership in a language minority group.” pic.twitter.com/pD299xCgRf
— The Recount (@therecount) December 6, 2021

Politico's Ally Mutnick sums up:

The suit alleges GOP mapmakers:
>> eliminated a Latino opportunity district in the redraw of #TX23 (Tony Gonzales' West Texas seat) >> did not draw a new Latino opportunity seat in Houston's Harris County >> "surgically excised minority communities" from DFW Metroplex area https://t.co/gUzLw2NVny — Ally Mutnick (@allymutnick) December 6, 2021

Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta accused Texas of redrawing "with discriminatory intent."

She told reporters the DOJ lawsuit "alleges that the redistricting plans approved by the Texas state legislature and signed into law by the governor will deny Black and Latino voters an equal opportunity to participate in the voting process and to elect representatives of their choice in violation of the Voting Rights Act. Our complaint also alleges that several of those districts were drawn with discriminatory intent. Texas's 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."

"Texas's population grew by 4 million people from 2010 to 2020. And 95% of that growth came from minority populations. Despite the 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. Instead, our investigation determined that Texas says redistricting plans will dilute the increased minority voting strength."

Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta on DOJ lawsuit against Texas over voting rights violations: “The attorney general has made clear that the Justice Department will not stand idly by in the face of unlawful attempts to restrict access to the ballot.” pic.twitter.com/59i7WGr9Jz
— The Recount (@therecount) December 6, 2021

This is a breaking news and developing story.