Biden administration sues Texas over new congressional maps

The Justice Department filed a lawsuit Monday challenging legislative maps adopted by Texas Republicans in recent weeks that it says fail to recognize growth in the Latino population and discriminate against Black voters.

The new map, signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott in October, is expected to bolster the GOP’s legislative majority in the Lone Star State.

According to a CNN report, the lawsuit alleges that the new districts drawn by Texas lawmakers violate the federal Voting Rights Act by diluting the voting strength of minority voters.

"The department’s career voting law experts have assessed Texas's new redistricting plans and determined that they include districts that violate the Voting Rights Act," Attorney General Merrick Garland said at a press conference on Monday. 

"This is not the first time that Texas has acted to minimize the voting rights of its minority citizens," added Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. "Decade after decade, courts have found that Texas has enacted redistricting plans that deliberately dilute the voting strength of Latino and Black voters and that violate the Voting Rights Act."

The administration’s move comes just weeks after the DOJ sued Texas over a separate voting law, SB 1, which Democrats believe restricts how and when voters cast ballots.

The DOJ also sued Texas in September over the state's new law outlawing abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, Fox News reported.