WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro of San Antonio and four other Democratic lawmakers from Texas have signed a letter that urges the Department of Justice to investigate any potential civil rights violations committed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton against Latino election organizers and volunteers.
Castro was joined by four other members of the Texas Democratic Delegation at a virtual press conference on Wednesday to denounce Paxton’s recent “ongoing election integrity investigation.”
Wednesday’s press conference came several hours after Paxton sued the Bexar County Commissioners Court after commissioners voted to launch a program that would mail voter registration applications to residents regardless of their eligibility to cast a ballot.
Paxton responded, in part, saying the program was “completely unlawful and potentially invites election fraud.” He suggested that undocumented immigrants or felons could get a hold of them.
Paxton’s lawsuit aims to block the program, which the attorney general said violates state law.
U.S. Rep. Al Green of Houston disagreed with Paxton’s assertions.
“It makes no sense to believe that people who are non-citizens are going to put themselves in harm’s way. They’re not going to go into some public official’s office or fill out some document,” Green said.
U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Austin responded sharply to Paxton’s lawsuit, “demanding that the Department of Justice investigate the politically motivated attempt to intimidate Latino voters.”
Castro continued with the sentiment of the other Democrats.
“Taking them to court for just sending out a form to just help people register to vote. Not to send in a mail ballot or to actually cast a vote. But just to register to vote,” Castro said. “And that’s because Texas has one of the lowest percentage(s) of people who are registered to vote because the state makes it hard.”
You can watch the lawmakers’ full press conference in the video player below: