8-28-2024 9:20pm

How LULAC in Texas and Locally is Fighting Back Against Voter Suppression Efforts

Chris Edwards Editor

The local Alamogordo LULAC Council 8105 led by president Joanne Vullo has been actively engaged in local political discussions from concerns with representation at the proposed Sacramento School of Engineering and Science Charter School, to ensuring local voting machines are secure and functioning per the state guidelines, to calls for justice for Elijah Hadley, a 17 year old Mescalero Apache teenager shot 19 times by a local deputy sheriff. Her council is active, vibrant and in a deeply red county that leans heavily toward Trumpian ideals.

With that in mind her eyes and those of her local organization are watching the recent actions in Texas with wary eyes. Ms Vullo says, "we are on guard locally and in support of our Texas colleagues offering our support for justice and the protection of civil rights."

In reporting by the Guardian it is reported that League of United Latin American Citizens (Lulac) wants the Department of Justice to investigate raids on at least three of its members in Texas. Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general, said in a statement last week his office had executed multiple search warrants in Bexar county, which includes San Antonio, as well as neighboring Frio and Atascosa counties as part of an ongoing, two-year investigation. The office did not provide details of the investigation or respond to a request for comment.

No one has been arrested and the exact nature of the investigation remains unclear. But the searches themselves were designed to intimidate, Lulac officials said.

Lulac president Roman R Palomares sent a letter to Board Members & Council Presidents on August 27, 2024 of which AlamogordoTownNews.com received a copy. The letter expressed concern with the raids and provided insight...

"As many of you have seen in recent news, we are deeply concerned about the actions taken by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton that disproportionately target Latino citizens and infringe upon their civil rights. These actions reflect a troubling pattern of voter suppression and intimidation in Texas, where Latinos constitute approximately 40.2% of the population, making them the largest ethnic group in the state.

On August 20, 2024, Lydia Martinez, an 80-year-old LULAC member (Immediate Past National VP for the Elderly) with 35 years of dedicated service, was subjected to a distressing raid on her home by armed officers executing a search warrant authorized by Paxton. Despite her full cooperation, Lydia endured over three hours of interrogation, humiliating treatment, and the seizure of her personal belongings, including voter registration materials. Lydia was not alone; several other civically engaged LULAC members eager to see positive change in their communities were similarly targeted. This coordinated effort to intimidate and suppress civic-minded Latinos has understandably caused fear and led some to withdraw from community involvement.

Additionally, Paxton's June 2024 motion to investigate Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley and question its Executive Director, Sister Norma Pimentel, is driven by a misleading and harmful narrative that falsely portrays Latino communities as a threat. This politically motivated attack is intended to intimidate those who support Latino migrants and bolster baseless claims about non-citizen voters. By targeting organizations and individuals dedicated to assisting the Latino community, Paxton aims to undermine their efforts and perpetuate harmful stereotypes.

These actions are part of a disturbing trend of voter suppression tactics that disproportionately target Latinos, compounded by false narratives about non-citizen voters. Despite the protections of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, modern voter suppression continues through strict voter ID laws, purging of voter rolls, and aggressive gerrymandering, all justified under the pretext of preventing voter fraud. The 2013 Supreme Court decision in Shelby County v. Holder, which weakened federal oversight, has exacerbated these issues, allowing Texas to implement measures that disproportionately affect Latino voters and diminish their political influence.

In the face of these challenges, LULAC will not back down. We are developing a "Know Your Rights" page on our website to assist individuals when law enforcement appears at their doorstep. We have filed a formal complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice, engaged with a broad network of civil rights organizations, and are reaching out to our congressional partners to advocate for a thorough investigation. Additionally, we are working with MALDEF and other pro bono attorneys who are ready and willing to support Latinos in the fight for voting rights.

LULAC remains steadfast in defending civil rights and ensuring justice. If you have any questions or need further information feel free to call me or please contact our national office at info@lulac.org. I appreciate your continued support and dedication to our mission."

Lulac has never formally backed a political candidate in its 95-year history — until this month, when it endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris. Texas Attorney General Paxton hasn’t exactly been a subtle operator in the past. If his office hadn’t blocked mail-in applications ahead of the 2020 election, Paxton claimed on former Trump strategist Steve Bannon’s podcast in 2021, “we would’ve been one of those battleground states that they were counting votes in Harris County for three days and Donald Trump would’ve lost the election.” He also most likely feels emboldened to take bigger swings after the state Senate acquitted him of corruption charges in an impeachment trial last year.

Paxton also has the comfort of knowing that he’s carrying out the will of the national GOP and its presidential nominee. Trump has instructed the Republican National Committee to devote more resources to election integrity than traditional fieldwork ahead of this election.

But for the Republican plans to challenge election results in court to succeed, there needs to be a convincing case that there’s more than partisan politics at work. In targeting such a specific group and its members, Paxton may have undermined those efforts. Already, LULAC is asking the Justice Department to investigate Paxton’s efforts as a potential violation of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 as per the letter above.

Even with years of conservatives’ narrowing the Voting Rights Act’s scope, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division can flex plenty of muscle if it believes a state has moved to suppress a minority group’s vote. Paxton may have thought that LULAC Texas would be easy pickings or that the searches he authorized would subdue its efforts to get Latinos to the voting booth this fall. Time will tell, as the actions are garnering nationwide attention and have placed many local councils on altert. Stay tuned as this story evolves and election day creeps closer.