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Judge finds city violated voting rights act |
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Thursday, 16 July 2009 |
By ANABELLE GARAY / Associated Press
A federal judge has found a Dallas suburb violated the Voting Rights Act by diminishing the voting power of a growing minority population with its city election system. The ruling Wednesday by U.S. District Court Judge Jorge A. Solis prevents the city of Irving from using the at-large system.
The voting rights lawsuit against Irving alleged the at-large election system kept Hispanics from being represented in local government. It was filed in November 2007 on behalf of Manuel Benavidez, an Irving resident who has twice run unsuccessfully for the school board.
Irving has been the site of protests in recent years.
Latino advocates accuse police officers of racial profiling with the
intention of arresting suspected illegal immigrants to be deported.
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