The League of United Latin American Citizens has called for a federal investigation into Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s recent actions against some of its members, alleging they are an attempt at illegal voter suppression.
This plea from LULAC follows a series of raids conducted by Paxton’s office, which targeted the homes of several Latino Democratic activists in Texas.
LULAC’s president, Roman Palomares, and CEO, Juan Proaño, sent a formal request to the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division on Monday, alleging that Paxton’s office is using intimidation tactics to suppress the Latino vote. The advocacy group argues that these actions violate the Voting Rights Act and other federal civil rights laws, according to a recent report by CBS.
The Justice Department has confirmed receipt of the complaint but has not yet issued any public statement.
Meanwhile, Paxton’s office maintains that the searches conducted in Frio, Atascosa, and Bexar counties are part of a legitimate election integrity investigation. According to Paxton’s office, the probe stems from a referral by Audrey Louis, the district attorney for the 81st Judicial District, concerning allegations of ballot harvesting and election fraud dating back to 2022.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Abbott announced earlier this week that Texas has purged over one million ineligible voters from its rolls since 2021, achieving a notable milestone in the state’s efforts to uphold election integrity.
According to CBS, the raids targeted several individuals associated with LULAC and other left-leaning political entities within the state. Among those reportedly affected by the raids were Cecilia Castellano, a Democratic candidate for the Texas House, and her legislative aide, Manuel Medina, CNN reported.
Another person targeted in the raids was 87-year-old Lidia Martinez from San Antonio. Martinez is a long-time LULAC member dedicated to expanding voter registration among seniors and veterans in South Texas.
Last Tuesday, nine officers in tactical gear arrived at her door with a search warrant and interrogated her for over three hours about her voter registration activities. They confiscated her phone, computer, personal calendar, blank voter registration forms, and voter registration certificate, according to CBS.
“This is a free country; this is not Russia,” Martinez said at a press conference earlier this week.
A search warrant affidavit obtained by The Texas Tribune suggests that one target of the raids was involved in handling mail-in ballots for multiple candidates, a practice that, if improperly conducted, could violate Texas election laws, according to CBS.
At a press conference held outside the OAG office in San Antonio, multiple LULAC members condemned the raids, claiming they were part of a broader pattern of voter suppression targeting minority communities.
In a press release published on August 21, Paxton’s office defended the raids, stating, “Secure elections are the cornerstone of our republic. We were glad to assist when the District Attorney referred this case to my office for investigation. We are completely committed to protecting the security of the ballot box and the integrity of every legal vote. This means ensuring accountability for anyone committing election crimes.”
The press release concludes, “Due to the nature of the ongoing investigation, the Texas Attorney General’s Office will have no further comment at this time.”