WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following a ruling by a federal court in the Central District of California today, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) has joined a lawsuit to defend California’s recently passed redistricting plan, Proposition 50. In their motion to intervene, the organization argued that, despite the plaintiffs’ erroneous claims that the plan is a racial gerrymander designed to “favor Hispanic voters,” Proposition 50 is clearly a partisan gerrymander, which the Supreme Court has consistently said is not a federal issue. Democracy Defenders Action filed the case.
The day after California voters approved Proposition 50, the California Republican Party and a group of citizens filed a lawsuit challenging the plan’s constitutionality. Last Thursday, the Department of Justice (DOJ) joined the lawsuit, despite the fact the measure was approved overwhelmingly at the ballot box.
“The plaintiffs in this case, including – sadly – our own Department of Justice, are callously targeting Latino communities who have fought tooth and nail to secure their right to vote and to have an equal opportunity to elect their candidates of choice,” said Roman Palomares,, LULAC National President and Chairman. “Their efforts to scapegoat the Latino community with these racially tinged arguments, while supporting efforts to gerrymander other states across the country in their favor, are both deeply insulting and dangerous,” added Juan Proaño, LULAC Chief Executive Officer.
LULAC, the largest and oldest Latino civil rights organization in the country, has over 575,000 members nationwide, and more than 40,000 members in California.
“It is a dark day in our country when the U.S. Department of Justice joins this kind of cynical effort to contort what is clearly a nonjusticiable, partisan gerrymander–designed to serve as a counterweight to Republican gerrymandering taking place across the country–into a racial gerrymander,” said Tianna Mays, legal director of Democracy Defenders Action. “The Trump administration encouraged other states to politically gerrymander their districts. They don’t get to turn around now and argue that California can’t use the same playbook simply because it no longer works in their favor.”
The motion to intervene is here.
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The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is the nation’s oldest and largest Latino civil rights organization. Founded in 1929, LULAC is committed to advancing the rights and opportunities of Latino Americans through advocacy, community building, and education. With a growing network of councils nationwide, LULAC remains steadfast in its mission to protect and empower millions of Latinos, contributing daily to America’s prosperity. For more information about LULAC and its initiatives, please visit https://lulac.org/.
About League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)
