Tag Archives: MALDEF

Fifth Circuit again rejects DREAM Act intervention effort

Posted on September 12, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

It’s like they just don’t give a crap. The Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied advocacy groups’ bid for a new hearing to defend the Texas Dream Act, a state law that granted in-state tuition rates at public universities … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged ACLU of Texas, Austin Community College, Democracy Forward, Donald Trump, DREAM Act, DREAM.us, FIEL Houston, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, immigration, Justice Department, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, LUPE Votes, MALDEF, National Immigration Law Center, Oscar Silva, Students for Affordable Tuition, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, The Lege | Comments Off

Texas DREAM Act intervenors try again

Posted on August 27, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

And again, I wish them all the best. An advocacy group is seeking a new federal appeals court hearing in its effort to defend the Texas Dream Act, a longstanding state law that allowed some undocumented students to pay in-state … Continue reading →

Fifth Circuit rejects DREAM Act intervention effort

Posted on July 11, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Dammit. A federal appeals court on Thursday rejected an effort to defend the Texas Dream Act, leaving in place a ruling that ended a longstanding state law that allowed some undocumented students to pay in-state tuition at public colleges and … Continue reading →

Texas DREAM Act appeal heard

Posted on June 7, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

I wish them all the best. A group of college students asked a Fifth Circuit panel Thursday to overturn an agreement that blocked a state law allowing students without permanent immigration status to receive in-state tuition at Texas public colleges … Continue reading →

The Fifth Circuit keeps on doing its thing

Posted on June 1, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Item one: Texas’ app age verification law allowed to go into effect for now. Texas’ law requiring app marketplace operators like Google and Apple to verify all users’ ages and seek parental permission before minors can download apps or make … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged ACLU of Texas, age verification, American Gateways, Apple, Bastrop County, Computer & Communications Industry Association, Congress, data privacy, Donald Trump, DPS, El Paso, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Google, Greg Abbott, Harris County, Hidalgo County, ICE, immigration, Joe Biden, Justice Department, Ken Paxton, Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, lawsuit, MALDEF, McLennan County, Mexico, SCOTUS, Senate, Steve McCraw, Students Engaged in Advancing Texas, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, Texas National Guard, The Lege | Comments Off

SCOTUS approves Texas redistricting map

Posted on April 28, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

I mean, obviously. Texas’ newly redrawn congressional map is officially cleared for use, after the U.S. Supreme Court formally overturned a lower court’s ruling Monday. In November, the high court allowed the map to be used temporarily. Monday’s ruling maintains … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2026, Legal matters | Tagged Adam Kincaid, Attorney General, CD09, CD18, CD22, CD27, CD28, CD30, CD32, CD34, CD35, Congress, Donald Trump, Election 2026, filing deadline, Greg Abbott, Jeff Brown, Justice Department, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, LULAC, MALC, MALDEF, NAACP, National Redistricting Foundation, Phil King, primaries, redistricting, SCOTUS, special session, Texas, The Lege, Todd Hunter, Voting Rights Act | Comments Off

Full Fifth Circuit hears SB4 appeal

Posted on January 25, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

As always, brace yourselves. Three years ago, Texas lawmakers passed a landmark law that would let state police arrest people suspected of having entered the country illegally by crossing the border. Such authority has long been the sole responsibility of the federal … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged ACLU of Texas, American Gateways, Bastrop County, Congress, Donald Trump, DPS, El Paso, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Greg Abbott, Harris County, Hidalgo County, ICE, immigration, Joe Biden, Justice Department, Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, lawsuit, MALDEF, McLennan County, Mexico, SCOTUS, Senate, Steve McCraw, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, Texas National Guard, The Lege | Comments Off

SCOTUS upholds the new Congressional map

Posted on December 5, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Shocked, shocked I am. The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday upheld Texas Republicans’ new GOP-heavy congressional map, handing the party a key victory as it heads into what is predicted to be a bruising midterm cycle. In a 6-3 ruling, … Continue reading →

Redistricting plaintiffs ask SCOTUS to put the old map back in

Posted on November 26, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

As expected. The original civil rights groups who challenged Texas’ new gerrymandered maps back in August of this year have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to reinstate a lower court ruling that would temporarily block the use of the redistricted … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Adam Kincaid, Attorney General, CD09, CD18, CD22, CD27, CD28, CD30, CD32, CD34, CD35, Congress, Donald Trump, Election 2026, filing deadline, Greg Abbott, Jeff Brown, Justice Department, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, LULAC, MALC, MALDEF, NAACP, National Redistricting Foundation, Phil King, primaries, redistricting, SCOTUS, special session, Texas, The Lege, Todd Hunter, Voting Rights Act | Comments Off

SCOTUS puts temporary pause on redistricting ruling

Posted on November 22, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

This is just until they can make a ruling. Texas is back to using its 2025 congressional map, at least temporarily, after Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito granted the state’s request to pause a court ruling that would have required … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Adam Kincaid, Attorney General, CD09, CD18, CD22, CD27, CD28, CD30, CD32, CD34, CD35, Congress, Donald Trump, Election 2012, Election 2026, filing deadline, Greg Abbott, Jeff Brown, Justice Department, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, LULAC, MALC, MALDEF, NAACP, National Redistricting Foundation, Phil King, primaries, redistricting, Rick Perry, SCOTUS, special session, Texas, The Lege, Todd Hunter, Voting Rights Act | 2 Comments

Redistricting ruling roundup

Posted on November 21, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

It’s that time again… We’ll start with the big one. A decision on Texas’ congressional map now before the U.S. Supreme Court could ultimately decide which party will hold control of the U.S. House of Representatives after the 2026 midterm … Continue reading →

Federal court blocks Texas mid-decade gerrymander

Posted on November 19, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Wow. Texas cannot use its new congressional map for the 2026 election and will instead need to stick with the lines passed in 2021, a three-judge panel ruled Tuesday. The decision is a major blow for Republicans, in Texas and … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2026, Legal matters | Tagged Adam Kincaid, Attorney General, California, CD09, CD18, CD22, CD27, CD28, CD30, CD32, CD34, CD35, Congress, Donald Trump, Election 2026, Gavin Newsom, Gene Wu, Greg Abbott, Jasmine Crockett, Julie Johnson, Justice Department, lawsuit, LULAC, MALC, MALDEF, Marc Veasey, NAACP, National Redistricting Foundation, Phil King, redistricting, SCOTUS, special session, Texas, The Lege, Todd Hunter, Voting Rights Act | Comments Off

A brief wrapup of the redistricting trial

Posted on October 30, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Meant to do this awhile ago but never quite got my act together. The future of Texas congressional elections and minority voting rights are in the hands of three federal judges after hearing nearly two weeks of testimony in a … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Adam Kincaid, Attorney General, Barbara Gervin-Hawkins, Carol Alvarado, CD09, CD18, CD22, CD27, CD28, CD30, CD32, CD34, CD35, Cody Vasut, Congress, Donald Trump, Election 2026, Greg Abbott, Joe Moody, Justice Department, lawsuit, LULAC, MALC, MALDEF, NAACP, National Redistricting Foundation, Phil King, redistricting, SCOTUS, special session, Texas, The Lege, Todd Hunter, Voting Rights Act | Comments Off

A brief news roundup from the current redistricting trial

Posted on October 5, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

What the label says, three news stories I could find that had coverage of the redistricting trial. From the Trib. When Texas first proposed redrawing its congressional map earlier this summer, critics decried it as a political power-grab to appease … Continue reading →

Redistricting trial 2.0 begins

Posted on September 30, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

And they’re off. This week, a trio of federal judges will consider whether Texas can use its new congressional map in the 2026 election, marking the first legal test for the districts produced by a summer of intense partisan clashing. … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Attorney General, CD09, CD18, CD22, CD27, CD28, CD30, CD32, CD34, CD35, Congress, Donald Trump, Election 2026, Greg Abbott, Justice Department, lawsuit, LULAC, MALC, MALDEF, NAACP, National Redistricting Foundation, redistricting, SCOTUS, special session, Texas, The Lege, Voting Rights Act | Comments Off

State files its response to the redistricting lawsuit

Posted on September 27, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

They’re playing the oldies, not the new tune that the Trump Justice Department tried to woo them with. Texas officials acknowledged in a new court filing that the Justice Department’s rationale this summer for pushing them to redraw the state’s … Continue reading →

Hearing set on new Congressional map

Posted on August 29, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Here we go A federal judicial panel will hear arguments beginning Oct. 1 for an injunction against the implementation of new congressional boundaries approved by the Texas Legislature. According to three lawyers who were in the El Paso courtroom Wednesday … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Attorney General, CD09, CD18, CD22, CD27, CD28, CD30, CD32, CD34, CD35, Congress, Election 2026, Greg Abbott, lawsuit, LULAC, MALC, MALDEF, NAACP, National Redistricting Foundation, redistricting, SCOTUS, special session, Texas, The Lege, Voting Rights Act | 2 Comments

Motion to block implementation of new map filed

Posted on August 25, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Once again, from the inbox: Today, plaintiffs supported by the National Redistricting Foundation (NRF) filed a preliminary injunction to block the implementation of HB 4, which further gerrymanders the Texas congressional map. After filing a supplemental complaint in the U.S. … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Attorney General, CD09, CD18, CD22, CD27, CD28, CD30, CD32, CD34, CD35, Congress, Election 2026, Greg Abbott, lawsuit, LULAC, MALC, MALDEF, NAACP, National Redistricting Foundation, redistricting, SCOTUS, Senate, special session, Texas, The Lege, Voting Rights Act | Comments Off

New legal challenge filed against redistricting map

Posted on August 24, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Fron the inbox: Today, plaintiffs supported by the National Redistricting Foundation (NRF) initiated a legal challenge against the newly enacted congressional gerrymander in Texas in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, asking the court to strike … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Attorney General, CD09, CD18, CD22, CD27, CD30, CD35, Congress, Election 2026, Greg Abbott, lawsuit, LULAC, MALC, MALDEF, NAACP, National Redistricting Foundation, redistricting, SCOTUS, Senate, special session, Texas, The Lege, Voting Rights Act | Comments Off

Motion for expedited review of proposed Congressional map filed

Posted on August 20, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox, on Monday night. Today, the National Redistricting Foundation (NRF) filed a motion in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas to ask the court to quickly set a hearing for a preliminary injunction that will … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Attorney General, CD09, Congress, Election 2024, Election 2026, Greg Abbott, Justice Department, lawsuit, LULAC, MALC, MALDEF, NAACP, National Redistricting Foundation, redistricting, SCOTUS, Senate, special session, Texas, The Lege, Voting Rights Act | 2 Comments

Opening look at the re-redistricting effort

Posted on July 12, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

They’re coming for our districts. More than one million Houstonians could have new congressional representation as early as next year under Gov. Greg Abbott’s push to redraw the state’s political maps. Abbott has ordered the Texas Legislature into a special … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2026, That's our Lege | Tagged Al Green, Beto O'Rourke, CD02, CD07, CD08, CD09, CD10, CD18, CD22, CD28, CD29, CD33, CD34, CD36, CD38, Congress, Donald Trump, Election 2018, Election 2024, Election 2026, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Galveston, Greg Abbott, Justice Department, Kamala Harris, lawsuit, Lizzie FLetcher, MALDEF, precinct analysis, redistricting, SCOTUS, special session, Sylvia Garcia, Ted Cruz, Texas, Voting Rights Act | 3 Comments

Fifth Circuit keeps SB4 block in place

Posted on July 9, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

A bit of good news. A Texas law that would deputize state and local police to question and arrest people they suspect of being in the country illegally was blocked once again. The law would also authorize local judges to … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged ACLU of Texas, American Gateways, Bastrop County, Congress, Donald Trump, DPS, El Paso, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Greg Abbott, Harris County, Hidalgo County, immigration, Joe Biden, Justice Department, Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, lawsuit, MALDEF, McLennan County, Mexico, SCOTUS, Senate, Steve McCraw, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, The Lege | Comments Off

ACLU and other interest groups seek to intervene in Texas Dream Act lawsuit

Posted on June 27, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Good. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, Democracy Forward, National Immigration Law Center, and the Dallas-based firm of Lynn Pinker Hurst & Schwegmann filed a motion to intervene today in ongoing federal court litigation — on … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged ACLU of Texas, Austin Community College, Democracy Forward, Donald Trump, DREAM Act, DREAM.us, FIEL Houston, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, immigration, Justice Department, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, LUPE Votes, MALDEF, National Immigration Law Center, Oscar Silva, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, The Lege | Comments Off

Undocumented students want to challenge that ridiculous settlement

Posted on June 13, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Seems clear to me that they should be allowed to intervene, but the same judge that allowed the settlement has to allow this as well. A group of undocumented students on Wednesday asked a judge to let them intervene in … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Donald Trump, DREAM Act, DREAM.us, FIEL Houston, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, immigration, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, MALDEF, Texas, The Lege | 1 Comment

Yet another part of the omnibus vote suppression law struck down

Posted on March 23, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

It’s taken awhile, but I can’t argue with the outcome. A federal judge in San Antonio has ruled that the state of Texas’ ID requirements for mail ballot applications are unconstitutional. U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez on Thursday found that … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged absentee ballots, ACLU, Americans with Disabilities Act, Brennan Center, Chris Hollins, curbside voting, Disability Rights Texas, Election 2024, elections administrator, FIEL Houston, Greg Abbott, Harris County, HOPE, Isabel Longoria, Jolt Initiative, Ken Paxton, La Unión Del Pueblo Entero, lawsuit, League of Women Voters, MALDEF, Medina County, Mexican American Bar Association of Texas, OCA Houston, REV UP Texas, Secretary of State, Southwest Voter Registration Education Project, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, Texas Impact, Texas Organizing Project, The Lege, voter suppression, Voting Rights Act, Workers Defense Action Fund | Comments Off

Fifth Circuit pauses vote harvesting injunction

Posted on October 17, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Here they come to do what they do. A federal appeals court has temporarily reinstated portions of Texas’ 2021 voting law regulating ballot handling, ruling that a judge’s previous decision to strike certain rules came too close to the 2024 … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged absentee ballots, ACLU, Americans with Disabilities Act, Brennan Center, Chris Hollins, curbside voting, Disability Rights Texas, Election 2020, Election 2024, elections administrator, FIEL Houston, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Greg Abbott, Harris County, HOPE, Isabel Longoria, Jolt Initiative, Ken Paxton, La Unión Del Pueblo Entero, lawsuit, League of Women Voters, MALDEF, Medina County, Mexican American Bar Association of Texas, OCA Houston, REV UP Texas, Secretary of State, Southwest Voter Registration Education Project, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, Texas Impact, Texas Organizing Project, The Lege, voter suppression, Voting Rights Act, Workers Defense Action Fund | Comments Off

DACA at the Fifth Circuit

Posted on October 13, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

A big week for that terrible court. On Thursday the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments in a case to determine the future of “Dreamers” who came to the country as children, including an estimated 27,000 Houstonians. The hearing is the latest … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged Attorney General, Donald Trump, DREAM Act, Election 2024, immigration, Joe Biden, Justice Department, Kamala Harris, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, MALDEF, New Jersey, SCOTUS, Senate, Texas | 1 Comment

More of the omnibus voter suppression bill blocked

Posted on October 13, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Better (very) late than never. Certain provisions of Texas’ sweeping 2021 voting law that restrict voter assistance violate the federal Voting Rights Act and cannot be enforced, a federal judge in Texas ruled Friday. Among the rules struck down by … Continue reading →

Vote harvesting provision of omnibus voter suppression law SB1 blocked in federal court

Posted on September 30, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Very timely, even if it took forever to get here. A federal judge ruled on Saturday that part of a Texas law that enacted new voting restrictions violated the U.S. Constitution by being too vague and restricting free speech. The ruling, made by … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged absentee ballots, ACLU, Americans with Disabilities Act, Brennan Center, Chris Hollins, curbside voting, Disability Rights Texas, Election 2020, elections administrator, FIEL Houston, Greg Abbott, Harris County, HOPE, Isabel Longoria, Jolt Initiative, Ken Paxton, La Unión Del Pueblo Entero, lawsuit, League of Women Voters, MALDEF, Medina County, Mexican American Bar Association of Texas, OCA Houston, REV UP Texas, Secretary of State, Southwest Voter Registration Education Project, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, Texas Impact, Texas Organizing Project, The Lege, voter suppression, Voting Rights Act, Workers Defense Action Fund | 1 Comment

The current state of voter purging

Posted on August 30, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll start here, and there’s a lot to unpack. Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday announced that the state has removed over 1 million names from the Texas voter rolls, mainly people who moved out of state or died but including … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged ACLU of Texas, Bexar County, Campaign Legal Center, David Whitley, Donald Trump, DPS, drivers licenses, Election 2024, Gene Wu, Greg Abbott, Harris County, immigration, Jane Nelson, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, LULAC, MALDEF, National Voter Registration Act, SCOTUS, Secretary of State, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, voter registration, voter suppression | 6 Comments

The Fifth Circuit has its merits hearing on SB4

Posted on April 4, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

This is the big one. A federal appeals court heard arguments Wednesday from Texas and the federal government about whether it should continue blocking a new Texas law that would let state police arrest migrants suspected of entering the U.S. … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged ACLU of Texas, American Gateways, Bastrop County, Congress, Donald Trump, DPS, El Paso, Election 2024, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Greg Abbott, Harris County, Hidalgo County, immigration, Joe Biden, Justice Department, Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, lawsuit, MALDEF, McLennan County, Mexico, SCOTUS, Senate, Steve McCraw, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, The Lege | Comments Off

Fifth Circuit leaves SB4 block in place

Posted on March 28, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Good. A federal appeals panel late Tuesday night declined to put Texas’s migrant deportation law back in effect, saying the state law seizes powers that are “likely reserved to the United States.” The 2-1 opinion from the 5th Circuit Court … Continue reading →

Mexico asks Fifth Circuit to keep blocking SB4

Posted on March 25, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

They definitely have an interest in this. The Mexican government is urging a federal court to block Texas’ migrant deportation law, arguing it will trample the country’s right to regulate its own borders, terrorize the 2.4 million Mexican nationals living … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged ACLU of Texas, American Gateways, Bastrop County, Congress, Donald Trump, DPS, El Paso, Election 2024, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Greg Abbott, Harris County, Hidalgo County, immigration, Joe Biden, Justice Department, Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, lawsuit, MALDEF, McLennan County, Mexico, SCOTUS, Senate, Sheriff’s Association of Texas, Steve McCraw, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, Texas Municipal Police Association, Texas Police Chiefs Association, The Lege | Comments Off

Fifth Circuit has its SB4 hearing

Posted on March 21, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

More whiplashing. The chief judge on an appeals panel weighing whether to block Texas’ new migrant deportation law appeared skeptical that it does not run afoul of longstanding precedent leaving immigration enforcement solely to the federal government. Questioning the state’s … Continue reading →

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