Houston, TX — The Council on American-Islamic Relations Action, Texas (CAIR Action Texas) strongly condemns the proposed mid-decade redistricting effort in Texas, which comes at the demand of President Donald Trump.
Redistricting is a process intended to occur once every ten years following the U.S. Census, designed to reflect population changes and ensure fair and equitable representation. The current attempt to redraw congressional boundaries outside of this timeline is not only unprecedented, it is politically motivated, deeply undemocratic, and harmful to communities of color across Texas.
Representative Todd Hunter’s proposed maps would further gerrymander the state by packing diverse communities into already-concentrated urban districts. This undermines the political power of Texans living in suburban and rural areas, where communities of color, including Muslim populations, are growing and increasingly civically engaged.
Additionally, we are alarmed to learn that the proposed maps were drawn by Adam Kincaid, a Virginia-based operative with no ties to Texas, rather than reflecting the hundreds of testimonies shared at House and Senate redistricting hearings by Texans across the state.
The data underpinning this redistricting effort is also deeply flawed. The Trump administration’s decision to block the inclusion of the Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) category in the 2020 Census led to a serious undercount of these communities. While the Biden administration has since approved the addition of the MENA category, it will not be implemented until the 2030 Census. As a result, today’s redistricting proposals are being drawn from incomplete and inaccurate demographic data.
“These maps fail to reflect the real and growing presence of MENA and Muslim communities across Texas,” said Sameeha Rizvi, Texas Policy and Advocacy Coordinator, CAIR Action Texas. “We call on Texas lawmakers to reject this partisan power grab and respect the democratic rights of all Texans, urban, suburban, and rural, to fair representation.”
The Texas House Select Committee on Redistricting has scheduled a public hearing on the proposed maps for Friday, August 1st at 10:00 AM at the Texas Capitol in Austin. While many Texans are testifying in person, the public comment portal remains open through the end of the hearing. CAIR Action Texas strongly encourages community members to submit written comments demanding fair, representative maps.
Submit your public comments now: https://comments.house.texas.gov/home?c=c055
CAIR Action Texas remains committed to advocating for a just and equitable redistricting process that accurately reflects and empowers all communities.
CAIR Action Texas is an affiliate of CAIR Action, a 501(c)(4) organization. Our mission is to engage, educate, and mobilize Muslim voters, train emerging leaders, and champion policy priorities that enhance the well-being and representation of Muslim communities. Through our work, we aim to foster a more equitable and inclusive democratic society where the rights and voices of Muslims are acknowledged and respected.
END
CONTACT: CAIR Action Texas Policy and Advocacy Coordinator Sameeha Rizvi, srizvi@cairaction.org; CAIR Action Communications, media@cairaction.org