Overview
- U.S. District Judge Jeffrey V. Brown, joined by Judge David C. Guaderrama, issued the majority ruling, with Judge Jerry E. Smith dissenting.
- The injunction requires Texas to use its 2021 congressional map for the 2026 elections while litigation continues.
- The opinion faults a July DOJ letter on “coalition” districts and says Gov. Greg Abbott effectively directed lawmakers to redistrict based on race.
- Republicans had drawn the 2025 map to target up to five Democratic-held seats and reduced minority-majority districts from 16 to 14 while dismantling several coalition districts.
- Texas officials say they will swiftly appeal to the Supreme Court, and the case unfolds as part of a broader redistricting fight that includes a Democratic counter-map in California now facing a DOJ challenge, with candidate filing and primary deadlines approaching.