Lawsuit against Texas governor for limiting Hispanic vote – El Financiero

AUSTIN, Texas.- For years Congressional Political District # 35 that spans from Austin to San Antonio, along the I-35 corridor, has provided opportunities for retail groups such as Latinos, but that has changed. with the district lines just drawn.

Recent maps marking the new Congressional “borders” and signed by the state’s governor, Greg Abbott, violate Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and discriminate against Latino voters.

This is why the Texas State Representative, Trey Martínez Fischer, did not hesitate to file a lawsuit in the United States District Court to point out this violation of the law.

Martinez Fischer’s state house district represents voters in West San Antonio, which has now been removed from the new Congressional district, leaving thousands of people who voted as Democrats under the representation of a Republican. The new district lines were drawn in areas of North Austin and Pflugerville.

“Hispanics were pulled out of San Antonio and non-Hispanics were added in Austin. The nature of redistricting creates winners and losers. District lines change, incumbents win new constituencies, and communities divide. This is unavoidable. What should not be inevitable is the intentional discrimination against Latino, black and AAPI voters that we expect from Texas Republicans in redistricting, “the legislator said in a press release.

He also pointed out that redistricting is a way to take away the voice of the retail communities that inhabit Texas, and a clear violation of section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.

“Redistricting is a political process, but it personally affects the people who live in our community. Our representation in Congress determines not only the resources we receive, but also how quickly our needs are addressed and how they are prioritized. By denying Latinos on CD-35 the opportunity to elect a candidate of their choice, Texas has deprived our community of the representation it deserves and has intentionally committed a violation of Section 2, “he added.

For his part, the president of Hispanic International, Javier Amieva said that “it is a dirty way to eliminate officials elected by Democrats and in many cases put them in the hands not only of those who did not elect, but in the hands of opposing parties.”

The lawsuit filed by Martínez Fischer is in addition to others, including the federal lawsuit by the Department of Justice against the state for violations of Section 2 on the maps of the House of Congress and the state.

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