Latino Civil Rights Organization Raises Alarm Over Voter Fraud Investigation in Texas

The League of United Latin American Citizens (Lulac) is sounding the alarm after several of its members in Texas had their homes raided as part of a voter fraud investigation by the Texas attorney general’s office. The raids, which took place in Bexar county, as well as neighboring Frio and Atascosa counties, have raised concerns about voter intimidation and the targeting of Latino voters.

Lulac is calling on the Department of Justice to investigate the raids, which have left members like Lidia Martinez, 87, feeling violated and targeted. Martinez, a volunteer who helps seniors with their ballots, had her home searched by nine officers who confiscated her laptop, planner, and cellphone. She was taken outside in front of her neighbors while the search took place, leaving her feeling humiliated and confused.

The exact nature of the investigation remains unclear, but Lulac officials believe that the searches were designed to intimidate their members who are actively involved in voter registration efforts. The Texas attorney general’s office has a unit dedicated to prosecuting cases of voter fraud, but critics argue that the office inflates cases to create the impression of widespread fraud.

In response to the raids, Lulac’s president, Roman Palomares, stated, “They’re trying to intimidate our folks that are out registering people. What they’re trying to do is they’re trying to intimidate, and then that has repercussions down the line here, where folks read about that and they go, ‘God, I mean, if they’re doing that to her and I’m a registrar, God, how are they going to go after me?'”

The raids come as Republicans have ramped up efforts to investigate and prosecute alleged cases of voter fraud, particularly focusing on non-citizen voting. However, studies have shown that voter fraud is extremely rare in the United States, raising concerns about the true motives behind these investigations.

As the investigation continues, Lulac and its members are calling for transparency and accountability to ensure that Latino voters are not unfairly targeted or intimidated. The Department of Justice has been made aware of the situation but has declined to comment further, leaving many questions unanswered about the future of voting rights in Texas.