Latino Voting Rights Advocates Seek Federal Investigation After Texas Home Searches

A Latino voting rights group has urged a federal investigation after Texas authorities raided their volunteers' homes. The raids, conducted by the state's Republican attorney general, targeted allegations of voter fraud. No charges have been filed against those whose homes were searched last week in the San Antonio area.

Attorney General Ken Paxton confirmed that his office conducted the searches following a local prosecutor's referral regarding "allegations of election fraud and vote harvesting" during the 2022 election. Paxton's office did not respond to emails seeking comment, and the federal Justice Department declined to comment.

Volunteers' Homes Raided

Among those affected was an 80-year-old woman who reported that agents spent two hours at her house, seizing her medicine, smartphone, and watch. Volunteers protested outside an attorney general's office in San Antonio against the searches. "We feel like our votes are being suppressed," said Roman Palomares, national president of the League of United Latin American Citizens. "We're going to get to the bottom of it."

At least six members had their homes searched, according to Palomares. Manuel Medina, a San Antonio political consultant, claimed his home was searched for several hours while agents seized documents, computers, and cellphones. Medina is the former head of the Bexar County Democratic Party and is currently working on the campaign of Democratic state House candidate Cecilia Castellano, whose home was also searched.

Details of the Searches

Lidia Martinez, an 80-year-old volunteer, described her experience when nine officers entered her home. "They sat me down and they started searching all my house, my store room, my garage, kitchen, everything," Martinez said. She was interrogated about other members, including Medina. The search warrant ordered officials to search any documents related to the election and to confiscate Martinez's devices.

"I'm not doing anything illegal," Martinez told agents. "All I do is help the seniors." Voter fraud is rare and typically occurs in isolated instances. An Associated Press investigation of the 2020 presidential election found fewer than 475 potential cases of voter fraud out of 25.5 million ballots cast in six states where Trump and his allies disputed his loss to Democratic President Joe Biden.

The investigation is part of an Election Integrity Unit that Paxton formed in his office. Some volunteers whose homes were searched expressed confusion and frustration over the raids. They believe their efforts to assist voters are being unfairly targeted.

The League of United Latin American Citizens has called for a thorough investigation into these actions by Texas authorities. They aim to ensure that voting rights are protected and that no voter suppression occurs as a result of these raids.

This situation highlights ongoing concerns about voter fraud allegations and their impact on communities involved in election processes. The group's call for a federal investigation seeks clarity and justice for those affected by these searches.