The nation’s oldest and largest Latino civil rights group warns that the ruling undermines equal voting power for Latino communities.
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) issued the following reaction this evening after the Supreme Court voted 6–3 to allow Texas to implement its 2025 congressional redistricting plan for the 2026 midterm elections. The Court’s order pauses a lower-court injunction that found the maps were likely the product of unconstitutional racial gerrymandering, not permissible political line-drawing.
“Tonight’s ruling is a setback for every American who believes that voting should carry equal weight regardless of race,” said Roman Palomares, LULAC National President and Chairman of the Board. “The lower Court found that Latino voters were being cracked, packed, and surgically reconfigured because of their racial identity. Allowing these maps to stand as guides for the coming elections sends a troubling message: that communities can be sorted by race in ways that weaken their voices. LULAC will not retreat. We will continue educating, organizing, and empowering Latino voters because the ballot box remains our strongest instrument for justice.”
In its filings before the Court, LULAC argued that Texas lawmakers “targeted and revised multiracial districts because of their racial composition” and “purposely sorted a significant number of voters based on race,” relying on stereotypes rather than any credible evidence of how Latino voters in those districts actually cast ballots. The district court agreed, blocking the map on November 18 and concluding that the 2025 plan further diminished Latino political power beyond the deficiencies already identified in the 2021 redistricting cycle.
By granting the stay, the Supreme Court allows the challenged map to govern the 2026 elections while the litigation continues. The case remains active, and the Court will next consider whether to review the district court’s injunction on the merits.
LULAC emphasized that tonight’s ruling does not settle the central constitutional issue: whether Texas engaged in racial, not political, gerrymandering in violation of longstanding protections for minority voters. The organization reiterated that it does not endorse candidates or parties but defends the right of every eligible voter to cast a ballot free from racial manipulation.
“For nearly one hundred years, LULAC has fought to ensure that Latino voters are not silenced by the drawing of lines on a map,” Palomares added. “History will judge how this moment shaped the power of the vote. Our responsibility now is to keep our communities informed, determined, and engaged because, despite this ruling, our commitment to fair representation is as strong as ever.”
LULAC will continue working with its partners, including the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), as the legal challenge proceeds and will redouble voter-education efforts statewide to ensure that Latino voters understand their rights ahead of the 2026 elections.
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About League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)
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/.
