LULAC challenges Paxton raid | More SA News

The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) wants a federal investigation into raids Texas Attorney General conducted last week in San Antonio and South Texas as part of what his office called an ongoing probe into “election integrity.” During a Monday press conference, LULAC officials said the raids are a bid by the Republican law-enforcement official to suppress the vote ahead of November’s election. The warrants largely targeted Latinos — some of them elderly — who work to mobilize voters, the civil-rights group alleges.

“Attorney General Paxton is working to suppress the Latino vote using a call for election integrity as a veil for voter intimidation,” LULAC National President Roman Palomares said at the gathering outside the San Antonio office of the Texas attorney general’s office.

“Attorney General Paxton’s tactics will create a chilling effect that will stifle the Latino vote this election cycle,” Palomares added. “It is evident through his pattern of lawsuits, raids, searches and seizures that he is trying to keep Latinos from voting. LULAC will not stand idly by and allow our members to be targeted, harassed, bullied or intimidated.”

LULAC officials said they’re asking the U.S. Justice Department and FBI to examine whether Paxton’s actions violated the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965. They also want authorities to determine whether the raids — which included the three-hour interrogation of a great-grandmother who works to register veterans and senior citizens to vote — constitute elder abuse.