After Raids On Members, LULAC Calls For DOJ Investigation

On Monday morning, several leaders with the Latino civil rights organization LULAC called upon the Civil Rights division of the Department of Justice to investigate the actions of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Their call comes days after several members and volunteers reported that their homes were raided by an election integrity unit of the AG’s office.

The targets of these searches ranged from deputy voter registrars to a Democratic candidate for a Texas house seat to other LULAC members in south Texas. Last week Paxton announced that the election integrity unit had “executed multiple search warrants in Frio, Atascosa, and Bexar counties” after receiving a referral from a judicial district attorney over allegations of voter fraud in 2022.

LULAC (which stands for the League of United Latin American Citizens) held their press conference outside the San Antonio office for Paxton. Roman Palomares, the national president for LULAC called the searches “point blank voter intimidation.” He also said that the raids would create a chilling effect means to “stifle” the Latino vote.

“LULAC will not stand idly by and allow our members to be targeted, harassed or intimidated,” said Palomares at the press conference. He also invited one of the LULAC volunteers who was targeted, 87-year-old Lidia Martinez, to speak.

Martinez said that last week she had just returned home from the hospital after a COVID infection triggered respiratory problems. She was in a nightgown when nine officers stormed into her home. She was not allowed to dress and was told to wait outside. According to Martinez, the officers questioned her about previous work registering voters and about other LULAC members. She was told they were investigating fraud. Martinez confirmed that the officers also took her computer, cellphone, and an appointment book.

Gabriel Rosales, the Texas State Director for LULAC, said they convened the press conference to let the community know about what Paxton was engaging in. While Rosales noted these actions were meant to “terrorize” the Latino community, he issued a warning. “This is not just an attack on the Latino community, but an attack on all Americans.”