Two civil rights groups sue Texas over new electoral map: 'It's racially motivated'

Two civil rights groups filed a lawsuit against the new electoral map approved by Texas. They are the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)and the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, who argued that the state "racially" manipulated the redistricting process to disadvantage the African-American community.

After weeks of uncertainty surrounding the final vote, Republicans in the Lone Star State succeeded in approving the new map, which includes five additional Republican-leaning seats. Heading into the midterm elections, this could help the GOP maintain its majority in the House of Representatives. Specifically, the new initiative shifts districts in traditionally Democratic areas such as Austin, Dallas, Houston and downstate.

On the other side, Democratic activists criticized Gov. Greg Abbott's decision. They even flew out of state to boycott the vote. With the map already approved, two civil rights groups filed a joint lawsuit to challenge it in court.

According to the lawsuit, the map violates Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which prohibits practices that discriminate against racial minorities in voting access, even if the law was not written with explicit intent to discriminate.

"The state of Texas is only 40 percent white, but white voters control over 73 percent of the state’s congressional seats," Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP, said via a statement.

"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," he added.

His statements were echoed by Damon Hewitt, president and executive director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. According to his analysis, the map is "intentionally harmful" and "discriminatory."

"Black and Brown voters in Texas deserve better. They are legally and constitutionally entitled to fair representation. These maps do the opposite, and they must not stand," he continued.

The plaintiffs hope the court will block the map, which would lead to appeals that could end up in the Supreme Court.