HOUSTON — Latino Civil rights group League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is in discussions with federal authorities after what they are calling unjust raids directed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on its members.
LULAC has already called for a federal investigation into the attorney general's actions.
The group's national president on Tuesday said he's met with U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland and the FBI to discuss how to resolve the issue.
LULAC and other groups held a news conference Tuesday in Houston to continue drawing attention to the issue. Paxton directed authorities last month to raid the homes of several LULAC members, some of whom are in their 80s. Cecilia Castellano, a Democrat running for Texas House District 80, was also reportedly targeted.
Paxton said the raids were part of a two-year investigation into alleged election fraud.
LULAC and Castellano called the actions voter intimidation and claimed it's part of an effort to deter Latino voters from casting their ballots in November.
"The crime here is not ballot harvesting, it's voter harassment," LULAC National President Roman Palomares said. "The crime here is not fraud, it's voter suppression."
"My business, my family, and my campaign are all under attack," Castellano said. "I will fight, but I need each one of you to fight with me because this is our fight, not just my fight."
The district Castellano is running for is also a target for Gov. Greg Abbott, as he hopes to flip the seat for Republicans. That could give him enough votes to pass his school voucher plan in the next legislative session.
Paxton's investigation fits into a larger effort by Republicans to highlight the idea of noncitizen voting and noncitizen voter registration.
Last month, the governor touted more than 6,000 potential noncitizens being purgedd from the state's voter rolls since 2021.
Tuesday, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said he wants the Texas Senate to look into the issue of noncitizen voting, but the Secretary of State's Office said there has been no unusual activity to suggest a surge of noncitizens registering to vote in the state.