A panel of federal judges began considering Wednesday whether Texas can use a redrawn congressional map that boosts Republicans and launched an expanding redistricting battle ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

The case in an El Paso courtroom is the first test of Texas' new map. Republican state lawmakers quickly redrew the lines this summer to give the GOP five more seats at the urging of President Donald Trump in an effort to preserve the slim Republican U.S. House majority.

Civil rights groups and dozens of Black and Hispanic voters are challenging the changes, saying the new map intentionally reduces minority voters' influence. They argue that the new district lines represent racial gerrymandering prohibited by the landmark 1965 Voting Rights Act and the U.S. Constitution.

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