Sacramento, Nov 13 (NationPress) – The administration of US President Donald Trump took action on Thursday, US time, to challenge California's newly established congressional map by filing a lawsuit against the state and joining a Republican-led legal effort against Proposition 50 (Prop 50), a measure approved by voters which has the potential to alter multiple US House seats in the upcoming 2026 mid-term elections, as indicated by federal court documents and official statements.

In a formal complaint submitted to federal court, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) claimed that the map instituted under Prop 50 represents a "race-focused redistricting scheme" that infringes upon the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause and the federal Voting Rights Act, according to a statement from the department.

US Attorney General Pamela Bondi criticized California's strategy, labeling it a "blatant power grab that undermines civil rights and disrespects the democratic process," as reported by the Xinhua news agency. The DOJ seeks to join the case Tangipa v. Newsom, initiated on November 5 by the California Republican Party along with 19 individual voters. The lawsuit contends that the Prop 50 map has created an unconstitutional racial gerrymander designed "to benefit Hispanic voters," as highlighted by Democracy Docket, a monitoring entity for voting rights litigation.

The federal government has requested the judges in the Central District of California to prevent the new districts from being implemented in the 2026 election cycle and to declare that Prop 50 was enacted in a manner that violates voting rights based on race, as summarized in the DOJ's motion and complaint by Democracy Docket.

Prop 50 grants the California legislature the authority to replace the current US House map—originally crafted by an independent citizens' commission—with a new map for the elections in 2026, 2028, and 2030. Following the upcoming national census, the commission would regain control, as per the state's official voter guide and analysis from the University of California, Berkeley's Institute of Governmental Studies.

The measure was introduced in response to mid-decade redistricting initiatives in Republican-dominated states. Constitutional findings indicated that Trump had encouraged Republican officials in Texas to redraw districts in August to "manipulate the 2026 United States midterm elections," and described Prop 50 as a "temporary" counteraction, according to the amendment text released by the California legislature.

Governor Gavin Newsom ratified the legislative package on August 21, dubbing it the "Election Rigging Response Act." He stated that Californians deserved an opportunity to "counteract" what he referred to as Trump's attempts to undermine the democratic system.

The "Yes on 50" campaign, which received funding from Newsom's ballot-measure committee and was backed by the California Democratic Party along with significant labor and civil rights organizations, urged voters to approve what it termed "temporary, emergency congressional district maps to thwart Donald Trump's plan to manipulate next year's congressional election," according to the campaign's website.

Despite numerous pre-election lawsuits aiming to impede the ballot measure or halt the legislature's map, state courts, including the California Supreme Court, permitted the special election to go ahead, as reported by Democracy Docket. On November 4, Californians endorsed Prop 50 with around 64% of voters supporting it, based on data compiled by Ballotpedia.

Local media outlets indicated that the new map could mitigate Republican advantages gained from redistricting in states like Texas. The Institute of Governmental Studies at Berkeley estimated that the revised districts might offer Democrats a chance to secure up to five additional US House seats, though the ultimate results will depend on future electoral outcomes.

On Wednesday, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which aided in developing the map, was granted court approval to intervene in Tangipa v. Newsom to defend Prop 50.