Vernellia R. Randall, Racial Justice Update — May 11–17, 2026,  https://racism.org/articles/133-latest-this-week/13072-racial-justice-update-may-11-17-2026 (May 20, 2026).

 

vernelliarandall2015The week of May 11 through May 17, 2026, showed how quickly civil rights protections are being weakened across the United States. The biggest developments involved voting rights, immigration enforcement, and the continued dismantling of federal civil rights protections.

The most important event was the continuing impact of the Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais. That decision sharply weakened Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and opened the door for states to redraw voting maps in ways that reduce Black political power.

At the same time, the federal government continued attacking diversity, equity, and inclusion programs while expanding immigration enforcement policies that many civil rights groups say will increase racial profiling and fear in immigrant communities.

Many civil rights advocates now argue that these are not separate events. They see them as part of a broader effort to weaken the government’s role in protecting racial equality.

Table of Contents

1. Voting Rights and Redistricting

The biggest racial justice story this week continued to be the fallout from the Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais. The ruling made it much harder to challenge voting maps that weaken Black voting power.

After the decision, several southern states moved quickly to redraw congressional districts. Tennessee approved a map that split Memphis into several districts, weakening the political power of the state’s largest majority-Black city. Louisiana and Alabama are also working on maps expected to reduce Black political representation.

Voting rights groups warned that these actions look very similar to earlier efforts used during and after Jim Crow to dilute Black voting strength. Civil rights organizations such as the NAACP and the ACLU are preparing new legal challenges, but the Supreme Court has made those challenges much harder to win.

Many legal scholars now argue that the Court has changed the meaning of the Voting Rights Act. Instead of focusing on stopping racial inequality, the Court increasingly treats race-conscious remedies as the problem.

Why this matters: The right of Black communities to elect candidates of their choice was one of the major achievements of the civil rights movement. Weakening Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act could reshape political power in the South for decades.

Sources

Supreme Court of the United States, Louisiana v. Callais, No. 24-109 (2026), Full Opinion, https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/24-109_21o3.pdf (last visited May 18, 2026).

The Guardian, “US southern states rush to redraw electoral maps to dilute Black voting power” (May 14, 2026), https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/14/southern-states-redistricting-electoral-maps-black-voting-power (last visited May 18, 2026).

Jeannie Suk Gersen, “How the Supreme Court Demolished the Voting Rights Act,” The New Yorker (May 2, 2026), https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/how-the-supreme-court-demolished-the-voting-rights-act (last visited May 18, 2026).

CBS News, “Supreme Court ruling ushers in a new era of gerrymandering” (May 2026), https://www.cbsnews.com/news/scotus-ruling-ushers-in-a-new-era-of-gerrymandering/ (last visited May 18, 2026).

Capital B, “After the Supreme Court's Decision, What's Ahead for Black Voters?” (May 2026), https://capitalbnews.org/supreme-court-voting-rights-act-black-voters/ (last visited May 18, 2026).

Briana D. Williams, “The Voting Rights Act Is a Black Business Issue,” Black Enterprise (May 13, 2026), https://www.blackenterprise.com/the-voting-rights-act-is-a-black-business-issue/ (last visited May 18, 2026).

Native American Rights Fund, “SCOTUS Ruling Guts Voter Protections” (April 29, 2026), https://narf.org/callais-decision/ (last visited May 18, 2026).

Asian Americans Advancing Justice — AAJC, “AAJC Appalled but Resolute by Supreme Court Decision to Erode Protections Under Voting Rights Act” (April 29, 2026), https://www.advancingjustice-aajc.org/press-release/asian-americans-advancing-justice-aajc-appalled-resolute-supreme-court-decision-erode (last visited May 18, 2026).

 

2. Voting Rights Activists Return to Montgomery

On May 17, activists and organizers retraced the historic Selma-to-Montgomery voting rights route to protest the continued weakening of voting protections.

The participants included older civil rights veterans, voting rights lawyers, labor organizers, and younger activists. Many said they were frustrated by the steady erosion of voting rights protections across the country.

Speakers repeatedly connected the current moment to the unfinished struggle that led to passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965. Several speakers directly referenced recent Supreme Court decisions and new redistricting efforts that weaken Black voting power.

Organizers stressed that remembering the civil rights movement is not enough if people are unwilling to continue fighting for voting rights today.

Why this matters: The march to Montgomery reminds the country that voting rights are still under attack and that the struggle for equal political power did not end in 1965.

Sources

Associated Press, “On the voting rights trail, bus riders to Montgomery retrace old steps while fighting a new fight” (May 17, 2026), https://apnews.com/article/3eb3d70073023a8e3b08ad116541c184 (last visited May 18, 2026).

Capital B, “Black Voters March in Montgomery Against Redistricting” (May 2026), https://capitalbnews.org/black-voters-montgomery-march/ (last visited May 18, 2026).

 

3. Dismantling of the DOJ Voting Rights Section

New reporting this month showed that nearly all career attorneys in the Department of Justice Voting Section have left or been removed since January 2025.

The Voting Section was created after passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. For decades, it served as one of the federal government’s main tools for fighting voter suppression and racial discrimination in elections.

Former DOJ attorneys described the current restructuring as unprecedented. According to reports, experienced voting rights lawyers have been replaced by attorneys connected to election denial theories and aggressive voter-roll litigation.

Former officials warned that the federal government’s role is shifting away from protecting voting rights and toward restricting voting access.

Why this matters: Even before recent Supreme Court decisions, enforcement depended heavily on the Department of Justice. Weakening the enforcement system itself makes civil rights protections even harder to enforce.

Sources

WIRED, “The Damage Is Massive: How the Justice Department Destroyed Its Voting Rights Section” (May 2026), https://www.wired.com/story/the-justice-department-has-destroyed-its-voting-rights-section/ (last visited May 18, 2026).

 

4. Immigration Enforcement and Racial Profiling Concerns

Texas passed a new law requiring sheriffs in larger counties to cooperate with ICE through 287(g) agreements. These agreements allow local officers to carry out some immigration enforcement duties.

Immigrant rights groups warned that stronger cooperation between local police and ICE increases the risk of racial profiling. They also warned that immigrant communities may become more afraid to report crimes or cooperate with law enforcement.

At the same time, congressional hearings in Virginia highlighted growing political attacks on prosecutors and sheriffs who refuse to fully cooperate with aggressive immigration enforcement policies.

The Justice Department also launched a civil rights investigation into Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano over policies that allegedly favored undocumented immigrants.

Why this matters: Immigration enforcement increasingly overlaps with racial justice because these policies disproportionately affect Latino communities, Black immigrants, and mixed-status families.

Sources

Houston Chronicle, “Texas sheriffs will soon be required to work with ICE. Some are hesitating.” (May 2026), https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/immigration/article/texas-sheriffs-ice-287g-immigration-22192203.php (last visited May 18, 2026).

Washington Post, “Immigration hearing casts two different views of Virginia's Fairfax County” (May 15, 2026), https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2026/05/15/contentious-congressional-hearing-offers-two-views-same-virginia-county/ (last visited May 18, 2026).

Washington Post, “Justice Department launches civil rights probe into prosecutor in Virginia” (May 6, 2026), https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2026/05/06/steve-descano-justice-department-investigation/ (last visited May 18, 2026).

 

5. Lawsuits Over Anti-DEI Purges

Former immigration judge Florence Chamberlin filed a federal discrimination lawsuit alleging that the Trump administration targeted women and non-white immigration judges as part of broader anti-DEI purges.

The lawsuit claims that judges viewed as “DEI hires” were disproportionately removed while replacement judges were recruited mainly from military and immigration enforcement backgrounds.

The case is part of a broader national campaign against diversity, equity, and inclusion programs across federal agencies and other institutions.

Why this matters: The attacks on DEI are no longer limited to universities or corporations. They increasingly involve the makeup and direction of federal civil rights institutions themselves.

Sources

Reuters, “Fired immigration judge sues Trump administration for discrimination” (May 13, 2026), https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/fired-immigration-judge-sues-trump-administration-discrimination-2026-05-13/ (last visited May 18, 2026).

 

6. International Human Rights Warnings

International human rights organizations continued warning about racial profiling, immigration raids, and the weakening of civil rights protections in the United States.

The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination warned that political rhetoric combined with aggressive immigration enforcement has increased racial discrimination against migrants and asylum seekers.

Human Rights Watch also criticized the rollback of civil rights protections, the elimination of DEI initiatives, the expansion of immigration raids, and the weakening of federal civil rights enforcement.

Why this matters: International organizations increasingly view these developments as part of a growing human rights crisis in the United States, not simply a domestic political disagreement.

Sources

United Nations OHCHR, “USA: Racial profiling and racist hate speech by political leaders heightened human rights violations against migrants and asylum seekers” (March 2026), https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2026/03/usa-racial-profiling-and-racist-hate-speech-political-leaders-heightened (last visited May 18, 2026).

Human Rights Watch, “World Report 2026: United States” (2026), https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2026/country-chapters/united-states (last visited May 18, 2026).

 

7. Multiracial Organizing Against Hate

On May 11, California Vs Hate held a Civil Rights Summit in San Francisco focused on confronting hate, supporting victims, and building stronger multiracial community responses.

The summit included discussions on representation, community care, and the need for stronger support systems for people targeted by hate.

Organizers stressed that communities facing racism, antisemitism, anti-Asian hate, anti-immigrant hostility, and attacks on LGBTQ+ people must work together instead of responding separately.

Why this matters: Anti-hate work is part of racial justice. Communities of color are facing overlapping attacks, and civil rights work increasingly requires multiracial organizing and coalition building.

Sources

AsAmNews, “At SF Summit, leaders warn confronting hate requires all of us” (May 12, 2026), https://asamnews.com/2026/05/12/multiracial-youth-leadership-california-vs-hate/ (last visited May 18, 2026).

 

8. Bottom Line

The events of this week are not isolated political fights. Together, they show a broader effort to weaken civil rights enforcement in the United States.

The attacks on voting rights, the weakening of DOJ enforcement, the expansion of immigration policing, and the attacks on DEI programs are all connected. Together, they move the federal government away from protecting racial equality and toward treating race-conscious remedies as the problem.

None of this happened overnight. These attacks on civil rights were built over decades through court decisions, political compromise, and policies pushed mostly by Republicans and too often tolerated or weakened by Democrats.

The current moment is not completely new. Instead, it is an acceleration of long-standing efforts to limit the government’s role in addressing racial inequality.

The central question now is whether the existing civil rights framework can survive these coordinated attacks or whether new legal, political, and community strategies will be necessary.

 

 Vernellia R. Randall, Professor Emerita of Law, University of Dayton School of Law. This article was drafted with the assistance of ChatGPT, an AI language model.