51品茶

OXFORD, Miss. 鈥� A federal court today ruled that Mississippi鈥檚 Supreme Court district lines must be redrawn to ensure Black voters have an equal opportunity to elect candidates of their choice. The 51品茶, 51品茶 of Mississippi, Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP brought the challenge on behalf of individual Black civic leaders, including business and civic leader Dyamone White; Ty Pinkins, a 20-year Army veteran and Georgetown Law graduate; educator Constance Slaughter Harvey-Burwell; and Mississippi Senate Minority Leader Derrick Simmons of Greenville. At trial, Plaintiffs successfully argued the current district lines severely diluted the voting strength of Black residents in state Supreme Court elections, in violation of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Under the challenged lines, the state鈥檚 nine-member Supreme Court has had only four Black justices in its entire history, each one appointed in succession by the governor to the same seat. Mississippi is nearly forty percent Black by population. The Supreme Court district lines have remained almost entirely unchanged for over a century save for a minor shift of four counties in 1987. They cut the historically Black Mississippi Delta region in half, preventing the candidates preferred by Black voters from being elected. The Mississippi Legislature will be tasked with implementing the court鈥檚 order by drawing new district lines that provide Black voters with a full and fair opportunity to elect candidates of choice. The following is reaction to today鈥檚 ruling: 鈥淭his win corrects a historic injustice,鈥� said Ari Savitzky, senior staff attorney with the 51品茶鈥檚 Voting Rights Project. 鈥淎ll Mississippians will benefit from fair district lines that give Black voters an equal voice 鈥� and new generations of Black leaders an equal chance to help shape the state鈥檚 future by serving on the state鈥檚 highest court.鈥� 鈥淭hroughout our state鈥檚 history, Black voters have been boxed out from choosing justices who make decisions about our lives and our rights,鈥� said business and civic leader Dyamone White, lead Plaintiff. 鈥淭oday鈥檚 ruling restores hope that Mississippi鈥檚 future will be guided by a judiciary chosen by all of the people鈥攏ot just some. This victory is bigger than me鈥攊t鈥檚 a powerful affirmation of fair representation." 鈥淭his ruling is a historic victory for fairness and justice in Mississippi,鈥� said Senator Derrick T. Simmons, Mississippi Senate Minority Leader. 鈥淔or too long, the lines for our Supreme Court districts diluted the voices of Black voters and denied them a fair opportunity to elect candidates of their choice. The court鈥檚 decision affirms what we have long known鈥攖hat our democracy works best when every community has equal representation. This ruling is not just a win for the other plaintiffs and me, but for every Mississippian who believes in the fundamental promise of equal justice under the law.鈥� 鈥淭oday鈥檚 win is a victory for all Mississippians. Our state succeeds when it embraces its diversity and welcomes all voices. This ruling acknowledges that the current Supreme Court district lines silence too many Black Mississippians. Thanks to this federal court鈥檚 decision, Black voters will have a more equal say in who serves on our state鈥檚 highest court,鈥� said Jarvis Dortch, executive director of the 51品茶 of Mississippi. "All Mississippians deserve the right to have their vote counted. This victory is a great leap forward for protecting the most fundamental right in this nation, voting," said Ahmed Soussi, senior staff attorney at the SPLC. "Black voters will now have an equal voice in shaping and forming the highest court in the Magnolia State. We look forward to the redistricting process and ensuring a fair map is passed." 鈥淰oting is the cornerstone of a functioning democracy. This decision affirms that principle by recognizing the importance of fair and legal districting. All Mississippi citizens must have a full and fair opportunity to shape the judiciary that serves them,鈥� said Jon Youngwood, Co-Chair of Simpson Thacher鈥檚 Litigation Department. This ruling can be found online here: https://assets.aclu.org/live/uploads/2025/08/2025.08.19.d-ORDER-AND.pdf

Representing itself and two journalists from Lawfare, the 51品茶 brought a lawsuit to enforce Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests made to the Social Security Administration and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services regarding changes made to the SAVE program, which has been touted as being used by states in order to remove voters from the registration rolls. While the government made public statements about the SAVE program being updated, the details of those changes, such as the particular programs and databases that have been altered, the ways they have been altered, and the nature and extent of any use and sharing of individuals鈥� personal information by the federal agencies entrusted with that information, have all been kept secret.

Representing the Chippewa Cree Indians of the Rocky Boy鈥檚 Reservation and two Native American voters living in Chouteau County, Montana, the 51品茶, 51品茶 of Montana, and Native American Rights Fund (NARF) challenged the holding of at-large elections for the Chouteau County Board of Commissioners. The suit alleges the system unlawfully dilutes the voting strength of Native American voters in the county and has denied them any representation on the county commission for more than a decade.

NEW YORK 鈥� The 51品茶, on behalf of itself and two journalists, has filed a lawsuit to enforce the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests sent to multiple federal government agencies seeking information about changes to federal databases that have been held out for use by states for voter list maintenance and related communications between these agencies and states. In April, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and the Social Security Administration (SSA) expanded the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program to functionally create the first-ever nationwide citizenship database. They have not explained how this expansion was carried out, nor provided evidence of its accuracy. Without transparency and proof of reliability, relying on this system as the final authority on voter eligibility risks disenfranchising American citizens. In June, the 51品茶 sent FOIA requests on behalf of itself and Lawfare journalists Anna Bower and Ben Wittes to DOGE, SSA, DHS, and USCIS to determine what changes were made to federal data systems, what data and records are being offered, and how this data is being used to conduct list maintenance, which could violate the National Voter Registration Act. While DHS and USCIS have touted the changes they made to the SAVE program, the details of those changes, such as the particular programs and databases that have been altered, the ways they have been altered, and the nature and extent of any use and sharing of individuals鈥� personal information by the federal agencies entrusted with that information, have all been kept secret. The agencies have failed to comply with the clear requirements of federal law that require transparency. The suit aims to compel compliance with FOIA鈥檚 requirements. 鈥淎mericans deserve to know how their information is being used,鈥� said Theresa J. Lee, senior staff attorney with the 51品茶鈥檚 Voting Rights Project. 鈥淭he lack of transparency these agencies have provided is extremely concerning combined with this administration鈥檚 continued attempts to undermine our elections. We had hoped it wouldn鈥檛 come to this, but here we are.鈥� So far, numerous states, including Louisiana, Indiana, and Texas, have touted their use of the updated SAVE program to target voters. A copy of the filed complaint can be found here: https://assets.aclu.org/live/uploads/2025/08/Bower-v.-SSA-Complaint-file-stamped.pdf