AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Democrats are calling on the Department of Justice to investigate possible civil rights violations by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office.
It comes after recent reports of “raids” at the homes of Latinos in South Texas and a new lawsuit filed in Bexar County that advocates say was meant to intimidate voters.
In August, Ken Paxton’s office said its “election integrity unit” launched undercover operations to investigate reports of non-citizens being unlawfully registered to vote.
Now, more Texas democrats are joining the League of United Latin American Citizens, or LULAC, to say that the state’s investigation was illegal and a misuse of power.
Congresswoman Veronica Escobar, who represents the 16th district in El Paso, led the discussion saying the raids targeted the homes of older Latinos and could intimidate them into not voting.
Houston Congressman Al Green said he questions the probable cause behind these raids saying there needs to be more transparency.
“To go to Ms. Linda Martinez, an 87-year-old retired educator … She says she heard a knock on her door at 6 a.m. Where was the probable cause to go to her home at 6 a.m.?” Green said. “Nine officers … some with guns in their holsters, pushed open the door, marched past her living room. She says she got scared. I would get scared.”
They also say that a new lawsuit against Bexar County could suppress votes. The lawsuit is fighting the county’s efforts to send out voter registration forms to people, arguing that it could lead to ineligible voters putting down false information to sign up.
Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai said it’s a way to boost voter turnout this November, but Representative Joaquin Castro said the lawsuit will discourage voters. According to Castro, if people in their communities see others getting prosecuted, the more “they’ll scare new people off from voting.”
“They are trying to win elections and hang on to power by scaring people by intimidating them, and doing everything they can to suppress the vote in Texas,” Castro said.
Austin Congressman Lloyd Doggett said Paxton is using taxpayer dollars to “execute outrageous search warrants against South Texas Latinos,” and is inspired by Trump’s “dangerous rhetoric.” He also urged the Department of Justice to investigate what he calls an abuse of power.
“It seems to me that we hear in Spanish and English that your vote is your voice, but the only voice that Ken Paxton wants to hear is one that agrees with it,” Doggett said.
The DOJ has yet to respond to the requests for an investigation.
With those alleged raids, the Texas Tribune reported that police investigated allegations from Frio County that a political operator had been illegally harvesting votes in multiple local elections. At this point, the investigation hasn’t led to any arrests.