AUSTIN, Texas — A federal judicial panel has blocked Texas from using its newly redrawn congressional map, ruling that the Republican-controlled Legislature likely engaged in unconstitutional racial gerrymandering. The decision, issued Tuesday, orders the state to revert to its 2021 district map while the case proceeds, setting up a direct appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court that could influence control of the U.S. House.
Judge Jeffrey Brown, a Trump appointee, wrote that while politics clearly influenced the 2025 map, substantial evidence showed the redistricting process relied heavily on race. The ruling cites a summer letter from the Department of Justice urging Texas to revise its map and warning that certain nonwhite “coalition districts” may violate the Voting Rights Act. Brown found the DOJ’s interpretation legally incorrect — but said Texas’ response to the letter demonstrated the governor had explicitly directed lawmakers to redraw districts based on race.
The map at issue was enacted in August as Texas Republicans, at Trump’s urging, sought to gain as many as five additional House seats in next year’s midterm elections. Democrats protested by briefly fleeing the state in an attempt to stall the legislation.
The ruling comes amid a broader national redistricting battle. Earlier this month, California voters approved new congressional lines that could deliver Democrats up to five additional seats, mirroring the high-stakes struggle unfolding in Texas.
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