Federal court blocks Alabama congressional map again
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A federal court has again blocked Alabama from using its 2023 congressional map, ruling that the map intentionally discriminated against Black voters and violated the Fourteenth Amendment.
The ruling comes as legal battles over redistricting continue across the Deep South following the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in “Louisiana v. Callais,” a case voting rights advocates warned could weaken protections against racial discrimination in voting maps.
The court found that Alabama’s map unlawfully packed Black voters into a single congressional district while diluting Black voting strength in other parts of the state. The ruling also blocked the state from moving forward with a special session related to the challenged map.
“Today [Tuesday], a federal court unequivocally rejected Alabama’s attempt to dilute Black Alabamians’ voting power ahead of the November midterm elections. The court reaffirmed that Alabama’s 2023 congressional districts violated the 14th Amendment by intentionally packing Black voters into a single district, and blocked Alabama from holding a special session. While we fully anticipate the State will continue to fight to use its racist maps to advance their partisan agenda, we will vigorously defend the right of Alabamians to elect representatives of their choosing,” said JaTaune Bosby Gilchrist, executive director of the ACLU of Alabama.
Jerome Dees, policy director for the Southern Poverty Law Center, said the ruling reflects concerns civil rights advocates raised following the Supreme Court’s Callais decision and warned that states across the Deep South have moved quickly to implement maps that weaken Black voting power.
He said the district court correctly rejected Alabama’s latest attempt to undermine the democratic process and said voters must continue protecting the promise of a multiracial democracy by staying engaged and participating in every election.
“We are thankful that the district court has again vindicated the constitutional rights of voters in the Black Belt, and we look forward to voting under a fair map this fall,” said Evan Milligan, named plaintiff in “Allen v. Milligan.” “The court saw through Alabama’s blatant attempt to reinstate a race-based congressional map that the Legislature deliberately enacted to deny Black voters a voice in Congress.
“As testimony at Friday’s hearing confirmed, state officials do not have enough time to switch maps before the August primary without spawning chaos and potentially serious errors. Rather than accept this reality, state officials have knowingly sown confusion and doubled-down on their attacks on Black voters. The court’s order today to reinstate the Milligan remedial map is a crucial victory for fair representation and brings necessary clarity to the state’s 2026 elections.”
Letitia Jackson, plaintiff and convenor of the Southern Black Women’s Roundtable, applauded the court for upholding what she described as the rule of law and said the facts of the case had not changed since the court previously ruled the map intentionally discriminated against Black Alabama voters. She also urged state leaders to stop wasting taxpayer dollars defending unconstitutional maps instead of addressing the economic struggles facing Alabama families.
Alabama has already appealed the ruling, meaning the legal fight over the state’s congressional districts will continue in court.
“The most important thing voters need to know is this: their right to vote has not changed,” said Shayla Mitchell, statewide coordinator for the Alabama Election Protection Coalition. “While the legal fight continues, voters across Alabama should remain informed, stay engaged and continue showing up at the polls each time they are open. Districts and election rules may be different on Aug. 11, which is exactly why voter education and election protection efforts remain critically important.”
She added that modern voter suppression often operates through systems, policies and district lines that weaken representation while appearing race-neutral on the surface.
Advocates are encouraging Alabama voters to stay informed, verify election information through trusted sources and continue participating in upcoming elections while legal challenges continue.
