The Trump administration has entered the legal battle over California’s newly approved congressional map, a measure critics say was drawn to benefit Democrats and Hispanic voters ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
The U.S. Department of Justice on Thursday filed a motion to formally intervene in a lawsuit launched by the California Republican Party last week, following voter approval of Proposition 50 — a ballot measure that allows the state to bypass its independent redistricting commission.
Federal attorneys argue that the new boundaries amount to a racial gerrymander, claiming the map was “specifically designed to favor Hispanic voters” in violation of the Constitution’s equal protection clause.
“In the press, California’s legislators and governor sold a plan to promote the interests of Democrats in the upcoming midterm elections,” the Justice Department wrote in its court filings. “But amongst themselves and on the debate floor, the focus was not partisanship, but race.”
Proposition 50, approved by 64% of California voters last week, enables a mid-decade redrawing of congressional districts. Analysts say the plan could yield Democrats as many as five new seats in the U.S. House next year, a potential game-changer in a chamber where the balance of power often hinges on just a handful of districts.
The Justice Department described the move as a “rush-job rejiggering” and accused state officials of using racial demographics as a proxy to advance political objectives.
Governor Gavin Newsom, who backed the measure, has defended it as a necessary counter to what he called “Republican gerrymandering” in Texas, where state lawmakers recently approved a GOP-leaning congressional map after pressure from President Trump.
Texas’s redistricting plan is also under legal scrutiny, with voting rights groups and Democratic legislators arguing it discriminates against minority voters. A three-judge federal panel is expected to rule on that case following hearings held last month.
The California lawsuit is spearheaded by the state GOP, a Republican state legislator, and a group of voters. Their legal representation comes from Dhillon Law Group, founded by attorney Harmeet Dhillon.
Dhillon stepped away from the firm after joining the Trump administration to lead the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, which is now overseeing the department’s participation in the California case.
Court filings show no parties have opposed the federal government’s intervention, and a judge has already permitted the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee to join the case in defense of the new map.
As the case advances, legal experts say it could set an important precedent for how race and partisanship intersect in redistricting battles, with potential ripple effects for national elections in 2026 and beyond.
Read or Download Thursday’s Lawsuit in pdf here.
