ARLINGTON, Texas — Hundreds of residents, civic groups and elected officials packed a University of Texas at Arlington auditorium on July 28 to oppose a proposed mid‑decade redraw of Texas’ congressional map, telling the House Select Committee on Congressional Redistricting that the move is unnecessary and threatens minority representation.

The chair opened the hearing saying the panel convened to take public testimony on “proposed revisions of congressional redistricting” under the governor’s July 9, 2025 special‑session proclamation. The committee emphasized it had not released or approved any draft plan and that in‑person testimony would be limited to two minutes per speaker; registration for in‑person testimony closed during the hearing and the committee set a five‑hour cap for the day’s testimony to allow as many witnesses as possible.

Why it matters: Texas gained congressional seats after the 2020 census, and voting‑rights groups say the state’s growth was overwhelmingly among people of color. Witnesses said attempting another map now — without new census data and while existing 2021 maps remain under federal challenge — would amount to a political power grab that would dilute Black and Latino voting strength.

Speakers from civil‑rights organizations, faith groups, unions and local government repeatedly pressed the committee to delay or decline to redraw lines. Roman Palomares, national president of LULAC, said, "LULAC stands in complete opposition to any redistricting effort that undermines the will and the voice of the Latino community." Janet Mattern of the League of Women Voters told members, "Redistricting should empower voters, not politicians." Rep. Sylvia Garcia — who said her Houston district is nearly 75 percent Latino — told the panel, "We should not be here today. You should be back in Austin passing legislation to support families." Congressman Marc Veasey, whose district is among those flagged by a Justice Department letter, said, "Donald Trump is demanding loyalty maps, maps drawn not to represent, but to erase." Vice Chair John Rosenthal told the room, "This right here is a racist attack on congressional districts of color."

Many witnesses described concrete local impacts: Tarrant County Commissioner Alyssa Simmons said recent county precinct redrawing in Tarrant had required litigation and cost hundreds of thousands in legal fees; other speakers said changes would make it harder for constituents to reach and be represented by a single member of Congress.

Process, transparency and next steps: Committee staff and resource witnesses reminded the public that no new decennial census data exists beyond 2020, and Texas Legislative Council staff said the council has provided routine Census Bureau products and the RedAppl (map) system to legislators but no new official population counts. Several witnesses, including state lawmakers and civil‑rights groups, pressed the committee to invite or subpoena the Department of Justice to explain a July DOJ letter that prompted the special session; the committee chair said the panel had invited DOJ and was awaiting a response.

The committee ended its hearing after a roll call vote to adjourn subject to the chair’s call; according to the minutes the motion passed 11–8. The chair said he would review the written comments submitted to the committee as part of the record before deciding whether to proceed. If members file a map as a bill, the chair said the committee will hold hearings on that specific proposal before any action is taken.

Public comment highlights: Witnesses who testified against the redistricting included leaders of LULAC, Delta Sigma Theta, the League of Women Voters, Tarrant County elected officials, union leaders and members of Congress. Common themes were (1) lack of new census data, (2) no draft map available for public review, (3) statutory and constitutional questions about mid‑decade redistricting, and (4) concern that the DOJ letter and the gubernatorial request were politically motivated.

The chair closed the hearing saying he would review the more than 1,000 written comments already submitted to the committee’s public portal and consider them when deciding how to proceed. The committee did not vote on any map or change policy at the hearing.