Latino rights groups are objecting to the state of Texas conducting raids on organizations accused of registering non-U.S. citizens to vote.
The League of United Latin American Citizens has called on the Department of Justice to investigate Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, accusing him of trying to interfere with the Latino vote.
The announcement comes as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said this week that the state has removed 1.1 million people from the voter rolls since the 2021 signing of Senate Bill 1. His office said that among the 1.1 million people removed, 6,500 were noncitizens. Most of the people removed from the rolls had either moved or were determined to be deceased.
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Of the 6,500 noncitizens on the voting rolls, Abbott's office said approximately 1,930 "have a voter history."
More than 11 million voters in Texas submitted a ballot during the last presidential election. According to a CNN exit poll, 23% of the electorate in Texas was Latino. Among them, 58% voted for President Joe Biden. Overall, Donald Trump won the state with 52% of the vote.
Paxton accused groups of signing up noncitizens to vote outside of driver's license offices. He said that citizens are presented the opportunity to update their voter registration renewing their driver's license.
“Texans are deeply troubled by the possibility that organizations purporting to assist with voter registration are illegally registering noncitizens to vote in our elections," he said. "If eligible citizens can legally register to vote when conducting their business at a DPS office, why would they need a second opportunity to register with a booth outside? My office is investigating every credible report we receive regarding potential criminal activity that could compromise the integrity of our elections."
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But Paxton's investigation has faced accusations of wrongdoing by groups advocating for Latino communities. They said officials have raided the homes of volunteers assisting the Latino community, including that of 80-year-old Lydia Martinez.
Jesse Garcia, LULAC state director, said the raid on Martinez was not an isolated incident and that Paxton was attempting to "intimidate and suppress the Latino vote in Texas."
"Attorney General Paxton has a history of targeting Latino non-profit organizations. From accusing Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley of criminal violations to attempting to shut down Annunciation House, which provides shelter to migrants, Paxton's actions have consistently sought to suppress Latino voices," Garcia said.
Paxton said the investigations are ongoing but has not announced any criminal charges stemming from the raids.
