Justice Department joins lawsuit over California's redrawn House map

The Justice Department on Thursday joined a Republican-led lawsuit that seeks to block a new Democratic-drawn congressional map in California that voters approved last week

The Justice Department on Thursday joined a Republican-led lawsuit that seeks to block a new Democratic-drawn congressional map in California that voters approved last week.

The redrawn district lines could allow Democrats to pick up an additional five House seats in next year’s midterm elections. The Trump administration’s involvement in the case escalates the battle and adds another political layer to the ongoing redistricting efforts that are playing out across the country.

In a complaint filed in federal court Thursday, the Justice Department effectively joined a suit filed last week by the California Republican Party that challenges California’s new map.

In their complaints, the DOJ and the California GOP allege that the new maps approved by voters amount to a “racial gerrymander” that they say violates the U.S. Constitution. The suit claims that California Democrats considered race when proposing the redrawn map in ways that advantage Hispanic voters.

“The end result is a map that manipulates district lines in the name of bolstering the voting power of Hispanic Californians because of their race,” lawyers for the Justice Department wrote in their complaint. “Our Constitution does not tolerate this racial gerrymander.”