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Boston Globe
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Supreme Court doesn't rule on Louisiana's second majority Black congressional district
Justice Clarence Thomas noted in a brief dissent from Friday's order that he would have decided the case now and imposed limits on 'race-based redistricting.' The order keeps alive a fight over political power stemming from the 2020 census halfway to the next one. Two maps were blocked by lower courts, and the Supreme Court intervened twice. Last year, the justices ordered the new map to be used in the 2024 elections, while the legal case proceeded. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up The call for new arguments probably means that the district currently represented by Democratic Rep. Cleo Fields probably will remain intact for the 2026 elections because the high court has separately been reluctant to upend districts as elections draw near. Advertisement The state has changed its election process to replace its so-called jungle primary with partisan primary elections in the spring, followed by a November showdown between the party nominees. The change means candidates can start gathering signatures in September to get on the primary ballot for 2026. Advertisement The state's Republican-dominated legislature drew a new congressional map in 2022 to account for population shifts reflected in the 2020 census. But the changes effectively maintained the status quo of five Republican-leaning majority white districts and one Democratic-leaning majority Black district in a state in which Black people make up a third of the population. Civil rights advocates won a lower-court ruling that the districts likely discriminated against Black voters. The Supreme Court put the ruling on hold while it took a similar case from Alabama. The justices allowed both states to use congressional maps in the 2022 elections even though both had been ruled likely discriminatory by federal judges. The high court eventually affirmed the ruling from Alabama, which led to a new map and a second district that could elect a Black lawmaker. The justices returned the Louisiana case to federal court, with the expectation that new maps would be in place for the 2024 elections. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals gave lawmakers in Louisiana a deadline of early 2024 to draw a new map or face the possibility of a court-imposed map. The state complied and drew a new map, with two Black majority districts. But white Louisiana voters claimed in their separate lawsuit challenging the new districts that race was the predominant factor driving the new map. A three-judge court agreed. Louisiana appealed that ruling to the Supreme Court.
Associated Press
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Supreme Court doesn't rule on Louisiana's second majority Black congressional district
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Friday putting off ruling on a second Black majority congressional district in Louisiana, instead ordering new arguments in the fall. The case is being closely watched because at arguments in March several of the court's conservative justices suggested they could vote to throw out the map and make it harder, if not impossible, to bring redistricting lawsuits under the Voting Rights Act. The case involves the interplay between race and politics in drawing political boundaries in front of a conservative-led court that has been skeptical of considerations of race in public life. Justice Clarence Thomas noted in a brief dissent from Friday's order that he would have decided the case now and imposed limits on 'race-based redistricting.' The order keeps alive a fight over political power stemming from the 2020 census halfway to the next one. Two maps were blocked by lower courts, and the Supreme Court intervened twice. Last year, the justices ordered the new map to be used in the 2024 elections, while the legal case proceeded. The call for new arguments probably means that the district currently represented by Democratic Rep. Cleo Fields probably will remain intact for the 2026 elections because the high court has separately been reluctant to upend districts as elections draw near. The state has changed its election process to replace its so-called jungle primary with partisan primary elections in the spring, followed by a November showdown between the party nominees. The change means candidates can start gathering signatures in September to get on the primary ballot for 2026. The state's Republican-dominated legislature drew a new congressional map in 2022 to account for population shifts reflected in the 2020 census. But the changes effectively maintained the status quo of five Republican-leaning majority white districts and one Democratic-leaning majority Black district in a state in which Black people make up a third of the population. Civil rights advocates won a lower-court ruling that the districts likely discriminated against Black voters. The Supreme Court put the ruling on hold while it took a similar case from Alabama. The justices allowed both states to use congressional maps in the 2022 elections even though both had been ruled likely discriminatory by federal judges. The high court eventually affirmed the ruling from Alabama, which led to a new map and a second district that could elect a Black lawmaker. The justices returned the Louisiana case to federal court, with the expectation that new maps would be in place for the 2024 elections. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals gave lawmakers in Louisiana a deadline of early 2024 to draw a new map or face the possibility of a court-imposed map. The state complied and drew a new map, with two Black majority districts. But white Louisiana voters claimed in their separate lawsuit challenging the new districts that race was the predominant factor driving the new map. A three-judge court agreed. Louisiana appealed that ruling to the Supreme Court. ___ Follow the AP's coverage of the U.S. Supreme Court at
CNN
27-06-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Live updates: Supreme Court decisions
Update: Date: 1 min ago Title: Can states require IDs for porn sites? Content: Everyone agrees that minors shouldn't have access to porn. The question for the Supreme Court in a key First Amendment case to be decided Friday is what happens when government regulations to protect young people wind up also making it harder for adults to access the material. Texas enacted a law in 2023 that requires any website that publishes a substantial amount of content that is 'harmful to minors' to verify the age of users. Groups representing the adult entertainment industry say the law forces adults to identify themselves – such as by providing an ID – before accessing pornography, which they say 'chills' free speech rights. Texas' law is similar to more than a dozen others across the country that require users to submit some proof of adulthood. During oral arguments in January, several of the justices signaled they might send the case back to the 5th Circuit to have the appeals court revisit it. But others made clear they ultimately supported Texas' effort. Update: Date: 1 min ago Title: How Louisiana's congressional map could have nationwide implications Content: Louisiana has been in court over its congressional map for years. Now, the Supreme Court will decide if state lawmakers violated the Constitution by creating a second Black-majority district. Federal courts initially ruled that the state had likely violated the Voting Rights Act by drawing only one majority Black district out of six. After the state legislature tried to correct that problem by drawing a second Black majority district, a group of White voters sued arguing that the state violated the Constitution by relying too much on race to meet the first court's demands. There's an inherent tension between the Voting Rights Act, the landmark civil rights law that prohibits states from curbing the power of minority voters, and the equal protection clause, which essentially bars states from considering race when they draw district boundaries. The question for the Supreme Court is how to strike that balance. The high court's conservative majority has grown increasingly skeptical of policies of any kind that, in the court's words, pick 'winners and losers' based on race. The Supreme Court has also in recent years chipped away at the power of the Voting Rights Act, including with a 2013 decision that ended the practice of requiring states with a history of racist policies to preclear changes to their voting rights laws with the Justice Department. The district lawmakers drew slashes diagonally for some 250 miles from Shreveport in the northwest of the state to Baton Rouge in the southeast to create a district where Black residents make up some 54% of voters – up from about 24% under the old lines. Rep. Cleo Fields, a Democrat, won the seat in last year's election – adding a second Democrat to the state's delegation. Update: Date: 14 min ago Title: Supreme Court tees up blockbuster final day of term Content: It's a blockbuster last day at the Supreme Court in which the justices will hand down six opinions in some of the biggest cases of the year, including those dealing with Trump's birthright citizenship order. Also on the docket: A challenge from religious parents who want to opt their children out of reading LGBTQ books in school and a First Amendment suit over a Texas law that requires people to verify their age before accessing porn online. The court will also decide the fate of a government task force that recommends which preventive health care services must be covered at no cost under Obamacare. And it will decide a challenge over Louisiana's congressional districts that questions how far states may go in considering race when they draw maps to fix a violation of the Voting Rights Act. Update: Date: 3 min ago Title: What to know about birthright citizenship, in charts Content: The US is among dozens of countries, mostly in the Americas, that grant unconditional birthright citizenship to anyone born in its territory under a legal principle known as jus soli, Latin for 'right of the soil.' More than 20 states, mostly led by Democrats, previously filed lawsuits in two different federal courts arguing that the president has no authority to change or override a constitutional amendment. Civil rights groups and expectant parents have brought similar legal action. Update: Date: 20 min ago Title: What is the birthright citizenship case about? Content: President Donald Trump asked the Supreme Court in March to allow him to move forward with plans to end birthright citizenship, elevating a fringe legal theory that several lower courts have resoundingly rejected. For more than a century, courts have understood the text of the 14th Amendment to guarantee 'all persons born or naturalized in the United States' to be US citizens, no matter the immigration status of their parents. In a series of emergency appeals, the Trump administration argued that lower courts had gone too far in handing down nationwide injunctions blocking the controversial policy, and it asked the justices to limit the impact of those orders. A federal judge in January described his executive order as 'blatantly unconstitutional' and blocked its implementation. Days later, a judge in Maryland said that Trump's plan 'runs counter to our nation's 250-year history of citizenship by birth.' Several conservative justices seemed open to backing the president on the issue of the nationwide orders, saying lower courts have gone too far. But they also didn't seem ready to endorse a departure from the longstanding precedent upholding birthright citizenship. Update: Date: 19 min ago Title: All about the 14th Amendment and birthright citizenship Content: The 14th Amendment clearly states that American citizenship is a birthright for all people who are born on American soil. Its first section reads: 'All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.' Before the Civil War, states didn't necessarily have to follow the provisions stated in the Bill of Rights; only Congress had to. The 14th Amendment changed that. 'Citizenship was a central question left open by the original Constitution,' says Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center. 'At the time it was written, the Constitution assumed citizenship, but it didn't provide any rules for it. In the infamous Dred Scott decision, the Chief Justice said African Americans can't be citizens of the US and 'had no rights which the white man was bound to respect.'' The US Supreme Court's ruling in the Dred Scott case, named for a slave who unsuccessfully sued for his freedom, has since been widely condemned. 'The 14th Amendment was designed to overturn this decision and define citizenship once and for all, and it was based on birthright,' Rosen says. 'It is really important that it's a vision of citizenship based on land rather than blood. It is an idea that anyone can be an American if they commit themselves to our Constitutional values.' Read more about the protections outlined in the amendment here.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Congressman Cleo Fields demands answers after Southern University students lose visas
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — Congressman Cleo Fields (D-La.) is demanding answers from federal officials after eight international students at Southern University had their visas revoked without clear explanation. In a letter sent Tuesday, Fields called on Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons to provide transparency over the visa terminations and consider reinstating the students' legal status pending a full investigation. 'The sudden termination of these students' legal status without clear justification not only threatens their academic careers but also undermines our nation's reputation as a welcoming place for global scholarship,' Fields said in a statement. 'Such decisions demand immediate review and full transparency.' Fields urged immigration officials to confirm whether any alleged violations occurred and to ensure that immigration actions reflect due process and American values. Southern University, a historically Black university, has not publicly commented on the revocations. Fields emphasized the university's tradition of fostering cultural exchange and international collaboration. The situation in Louisiana comes amid a broader immigration crackdown by the Trump administration. Nationwide, more than 1,000 international students at over 160 colleges have had their legal status terminated in recent weeks, according to an Associated Press review. Students say they've received little to no explanation, prompting panic and lawsuits across multiple states. Federal officials have cited criminal records or protests of U.S. foreign policy—particularly demonstrations against Israel's war in Gaza—as possible justifications for the revocations. But legal advocates, including the American Civil Liberties Union, say many students affected have no criminal history and were not given due process. Fields' letter follows a growing chorus of criticism from college leaders and immigration attorneys who argue the mass terminations are legally questionable and disproportionately harm students following all established rules. Louisiana First News has contacted Southern University for comment. The Associated Press and The Hill, Louisiana First News' news partner, contributed to this report. What is a migrant? What is ICE? 10 terms to help you understand the debate over immigration How long will US flags fly at half-staff for Pope Francis? Jeffries leading delegation to Denmark to discuss 'geopolitical status of Greenland' Collections for over 5 million defaulted student loans to restart within weeks Free health screenings for Baton Rouge men on April 26 Louisiana Shakespeare Festival in Baton Rouge has performances, costume exhibits Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Congressman Cleo Fields addresses teacher shortage with new bill
LAFAYETTE, La. () — When it comes to education in Louisiana, Congressman Cleo Fields is making it a priority to address the state's issues. Earlier this week, He stopped in Lafayette to hold a town hall meeting where residents asked questions and let their concerns be heard. One of the things Fields discussed was the need for educators and how he plans to address it. Congressman Cleo Fields continues district tour in Lafayette 'We are losing teachers on a day-to-day basis,' Fields said. Representing Louisiana's 6th Congressional District, Fields says education has always been important to him. He says when he graduated from Southern University, the Department of Education was the largest department on campus. However, in recent years, he says that's changed. 'I went there two or three years ago and only two students graduated in the Department of Education,' he said. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Describing the Department of Education as an endangered species, Fields says for lack of better terms, educators are not being valued. 'We as legislators need to take this seriously,' said Fields. 'Our kids are not majoring in education because they don't feel we value educators.' Fields says one of the ways he plans on addressing the issues the state faces when it comes to a shortage of educators is by introducing a bill. 'I'm going to be introducing a bill right after the Easter break to forgive student loans for those people who major in education,' said Fields. He says this is a way he believes he can help incentivized majoring in education as a start to addressing not only the shortage of educators, but also other issues the state faces. 'I just started an education caucus in Congress, and anything I can do to zero in on education, I'm going to do it,' he said. Congressman Cleo Fields addresses teacher shortage with new bill The best smart TV deals this week Comeaux High School prank leads to disciplinary action for seniors; parents upset Sisters face principal to attempted second-degree homicide in alleged plot to kill Michelle Trachtenberg's cause of death revealed Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
