WASHINGTON, Dec 6 (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department sued Texas on Monday alleging the state violated the Voting Rights Act by creating redistricting plans that intentionally discriminate against Black and minority voters by minimizing their voting strength.
"The complaint we filed today alleges that Texas has violated section two by creating redistricting plans that deny or abridge the rights of Latino and Black voters to vote on account of their race, color or membership in a language minority group," U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland told reporters at a news conference.
In its complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, the Justice Department said the 2020 Census showed that Latinos are on track to become the state's largest population group, and that non-white Latino voters account for less than 40% of the state's population.
"Soon after the release of 2020 Census data, the Texas Legislature enacted redistricting plans for the Texas Congressional delegation and the Texas House through an extraordinarily rapid and opaque legislative process," the complaint says.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Twitter defended the state's actions, saying, "The Department of Justice's absurd lawsuit against our state is the Biden Administration's latest ploy to control Texas voters."
The lawsuit is the first filed by the Justice Department during President Joe Biden's administration taking aim at redistricting, the once-a-decade process...
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