The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case that could determine whether non-citizens should be tallied as political districts are being drawn.
The court’s decision could potentially strip political power and Congressional representation from California, Texas, Florida and other state with large undocumented populations.
“Election law analysts were surprised by the court’s move,” the Los Angeles Times reports. “Despite decades of decisions on voting rights, the justices have steered clear of clarifying whether election districts should have an equal number of residents or an equal number of eligible voters.”
Within California, the case could also impact cities and counties with large undocumented population, reducing their political clout in Sacramento and in districts within those localities.
The case was brought to the high court by Edward Blum, a conservative activist who two years ago won the Supreme Court ruling that struck down part of the Voting Rights Act. Blum also launched a constitutional challenge to the affirmative action policy at the University of Texas that is still pending
“My interest is in restoring the original principles of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s,” Blum said Tuesday. “Your race and ethnicity should be not be used to help or harm your position in life.”