A prominent Latino advocacy group is calling for a federal investigation into Texas State Attorney General Ken Paxton following a series of raids his office conducted during the week of Aug. 18. The group described the effort as a voter fraud crackdown.
While Paxton has defended the raids, asserting that there was sufficient evidence to legally obtain the search warrants, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is urging the Department of Justice to intervene. LULAC argues that the raids are politically motivated and intended to intimidate voters.
Last week, Paxton’s office launched undercover operations to investigate claims that some organizations in Texas were unlawfully registering noncitizens to vote. According to a press release, the Election Integrity Unit is conducting these operations with a focus on allegations of election fraud and ballot harvesting dating back to the 2022 elections.
Paxton’s office reported that the two-year investigation provided enough evidence to secure the search warrants. However, no charges have been filed in connection with the raids so far.
At a news conference outside Paxton’s office in San Antonio, LULAC members and Democratic activists condemned the attorney general, accusing him of orchestrating a campaign of intimidation against Latino voters.
“Attorney General Paxton is working to suppress the Latino vote by using a call for election integrity as a pretext for voter intimidation,” LULAC representative said. “Paxton’s tactics will create a chilling effect that will stifle the Latino vote this election cycle.”
LULAC reported that at least six of its members had their homes searched, including an 87-year-old woman from San Antonio whose phone, computer, personal calendar, and blank registration forms were confiscated by law enforcement.
The DOJ has not commented on LULAC’s request for a federal investigation into the raids.
