Supreme Court Guts Core Voting Rights Protections in Callais Decision
AUSTIN, TX — Today, the United States Supreme Court ruled in Louisiana v. Callais, striking down Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, the nation’s primary safeguard against racially discriminatory maps and voting laws.
The decision follows a series of rulings allowing Texas to use a congressional map that a federal panel, including a Trump-appointed judge, found was intentionally drawn to discriminate against Latino and Black voters. Together, these decisions mark a sweeping retreat from protections that have shielded voters from racial gerrymandering and discriminatory voting practices for nearly 60 years.
Texas Mexican American Legislative Caucus Chairman Rep. Ramon Romero Jr. issued the following statement:
“This is the most dangerous setback to voting rights since Jim Crow.
The Supreme Court already allowed Texas to use a congressional map that a federal court found was drawn to discriminate against Latino and Black Texans—locking that map in place through 2030. Now, it has stripped away the very protections meant to defend our voices.
That is how you take power away from our communities and lock it in place.
Texas was the test case. Louisiana was the nail in the coffin. Now the Court has opened the door for intentional discrimination to shape elections across the country for generations.
Consistent with our mission, MALC will continue to advocate and fight for the voting rights of minority and marginalized groups in Texas at the Courthouse and the Legislature to help everyone fight at the ballot box.”
For more information or to schedule an interview, contact Jackie Arias-Bryant at jackie@malc.org or (956) 588-5243.
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MALC is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization and the oldest and largest Hispanic/Latino legislative caucus in the United States. MALC is composed of members of the Texas House of Representatives who are of Mexican American descent and/or who represent districts with a majority Hispanic/Latino voting population. MALC’s purpose is to represent the interests of a united Hispanic/Latino constituency across the State of Texas.
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