Texas asked the Supreme Court on Friday to halt a court order that threw out the state's redrawn House maps in time for next month's candidate filing deadline — arguing the new maps were driven by politics,

Racial gerrymandering remains prohibited by the Constitution's Equal Protection Clause and the Voting Rights Act. Federal courts will still scrutinize motives, examine detailed evidentiary records and strike down maps where race predominates -- particularly when the state invokes "partisan intent" as a post-hoc shield.

A federal court ordered Texas to use House district lines adopted in 2021 for next year's congressional elections.

A federal court in El Paso ruled that the redistricting backed by Trump and Republicans to reshape the map for the 2026 midterms was based on race, not just political advantage for the GOP.

The state is expected to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to temporarily pause the ruling, which would allow Texas to use the more recent map while the appeal plays out.