Federal authorities has officially joined a legal challenge brought forward by California Republicans, aiming to block the state's newly approved congressional redistricting map.
This court case, filed in federal court, targets the redistricting plan supported by Governor Gavin Newsom, which was created in reaction against a Republican-led gerrymander in Texas.
"The state's redistricting scheme represents a blatant attempt to seize control that tramples on civil rights and undermines the democratic process," stated the nation's top law enforcement official.
Democrats have expressed confidence that the redistricting plan will survive legal scrutiny.
"The plaintiffs lost at the ballot box and they are likely to face defeat in the judicial system," stated a representative for the governor.
The lawsuit claims that California's map improperly used racial considerations to significantly advantage Hispanic voters in violation of the US Constitution.
"Race cannot be used as a proxy to further partisan goals, but that is precisely what the state legislature did with Proposition 50," argued a high-ranking representative from the Civil Rights Division.
The legal battle constitutes the most significant response by the Democratic party in the continuing political battle that started with Texas and has extended to multiple states.
In contrast to elsewhere, where GOP-controlled legislatures have enacted gerrymanders, California's plan needed public consent, which it obtained with nearly 65% of the vote.
The Democratic party need to gain just a small number of GOP-controlled House seats to gain majority of the House of Representatives in next year's midterm election.
The political group controlling the majority will influence the remaining period of the sitting president's term, deciding if a unified Republican Congress will persist in implementing its political program or encounter opposition, congressional probes and possible further challenges.
Elena Hartwell is a multidisciplinary artist and educator passionate about fostering creative communities in London.