Social Justice Policy Brief #184 | Valerie Henderson | November 22, 2025
Summary
In a major ruling upholding the rights of minority voters, a three-judge federal panel on November 18, 2025, issued a preliminary injunction blocking Texas from using its newly adopted 2025 congressional redistricting map for the upcoming 2026 elections. The map, enacted during a special legislative session in August, was found to be an unconstitutional racial gerrymander that harmed the voting power of Black and Hispanic Texans. The panel ordered that the elections proceed under the state’s 2021 map. Opponents, including State Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, applauded the decision, stating the map was a clear effort by the Trump administration and Texas Republicans to “silence the voices” of minority-majority districts. Texas has already filed a notice of appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Analysis
The federal court’s finding of unlawful racial gerrymandering exposes a cynical attempt by the Texas Legislature to subordinate democratic representation to racial targets in order to cement partisan control.
Race as the Predominant Factor
The court ruled that race, not merely partisanship, was the predominant factor in how the new 2025 Texas map was drawn. This finding was supported by evidence showing the legislature used precise racial targets (often drawing districts with “on-the-nose” bare majorities just over 50%) and dismantled several existing minority-majority “coalition districts”. Senator Hinojosa underscored this critique, arguing the redrawn districts were all districts represented by Black and Hispanic members of Congress. He directly accused the effort—which was precipitated by a controversial U.S. Department of Justice letter misrepresenting a prior Fifth Circuit ruling—of being “targeted racial discrimination” designed to “wipe out four congressional districts” elected by minority-majority voters.
Undermining Democracy and the Appeal
This injunction is a crucial win for Black and Hispanic voters, reaffirming constitutional protections against unlawful maneuvering that harms the voices of communities of color. The majority opinion, written by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Brown, rejected the argument that the case was “just politics,” emphasizing the constitutional mandate against racial discrimination in districting.
The case’s ultimate fate rests with the Supreme Court, which is already set to rule on a similar racial gerrymandering challenge in Louisiana v. Callais. Depending on that ruling, the Texas map—and the underlying legal precedent—could be either swiftly reinstated or permanently struck down. However, for the 2026 election cycle, the court’s action immediately preserves the existing representation of minority communities and halts a clear political power grab.
My Opinion
This ruling is a powerful affirmation that in Texas, voters choose representatives; representatives do not choose their voters. The 2025 mid-decade redistricting effort was a shameful and cynical attempt to dilute the political strength of Texas’s growing Black, Hispanic, and Asian populations.
The legislature’s defense—that they were simply responding to federal guidance—is rendered hollow by the court’s finding that they deliberately prioritized racial targets over all other traditional criteria. This was an act of political self-preservation, weaponizing the census data and judicial complexity to entrench one party’s power at the expense of democracy.
The immediate blocking of the map is a social justice imperative. It ensures that the 14th and 15th Amendments remain the guardians of equal representation, preventing the Texas Legislature from making a mockery of the principle of “one person, one vote” through calculated, discriminatory line-drawing.
Engagement Resources
- Campaign Legal Center (CLC): A non-partisan organization involved in fighting partisan and racial gerrymandering cases across the U.S., including Texas.
- Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF): Key legal group representing Hispanic plaintiffs in voting rights and redistricting litigation in Texas.
- Texas Legislative Council (TLC) Redistricting Page: The official source for all map drafts, census data used, and the legislative history of the 2025 map.