"The Voting Rights Act, passed 60 years ago this year, was enacted to protect communities from just this type of discrimination," Ajay Saini, the attorney for the plaintiffs, said.

Houston County is facing a second federal lawsuit challenging how it elects county commissioners, with civil rights attorneys claiming the current system violates the Voting Rights Act.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) is suing the Harris County Commissioners Court over its decision to allocate roughly $1.34 million in taxpayer funds to nonprofits that provide legal aid to immigrants in deportation proceedings.