Texas AG raids homes of Latino civil rights group members, setting up a voting rights showdown

Raids conducted on the homes of several Democrats in South Texas have ignited a dispute with the nation's oldest Latino civil rights group, following what the state attorney general described as an ongoing investigation into election integrity.

The August 20 raids targeted Manuel Medina, chair of the Tejano Democrats; several members of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC); a state House candidate; and a local mayor.

These actions have sparked outrage and accusations of voter suppression in a state with a history of discrimination against its Mexican-American residents, which led to the formation of LULAC in 1929.

On Monday morning, LULAC leaders, state legislators, Latino activists, and some individuals whose homes were raided protested outside the San Antonio office of Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican.

“This is point blank voter intimidation, and LULAC will fight for the right of every Latino to exercise the right to vote,” said Roman Palomares, LULAC's national president.

A search warrant left with one of the targeted individuals, LULAC volunteer Lidia Martinez, 87, of San Antonio, revealed the investigation's scope. The warrant authorized the seizure of all electronic devices at her home, the examination of documents related to business, organizations, or elections, and DNA swabbing. It aimed to find evidence of violations related to vote harvesting and identity fraud.

Medina’s home was also "forcibly entered" on August 20. According to his attorney's filing, officers woke Medina, his wife, and their two young daughters, and "rummaged through the residence" for seven hours. They searched various parts of the house and seized 65 cellphones, 41 computers, and storage devices.

Medina's attorney secured an injunction to prevent state officials from reviewing or disseminating the seized documents. A hearing on the search and seizures is scheduled for September 12.

The attorney’s filing reported the seizure of nearly 65 cell phones, 41 computers, digital storage devices, papers, documents, and personal photographs.

Neither Medina nor his attorney commented when contacted by NBC News.

“There is no poll tax. There is no white-only primary. There is no going back. We will not go back,” said Domingo Garcia, former LULAC president and current head of a LULAC political action committee that endorsed Kamala Harris.

Paxton, who announced the raids in a news release on Thursday, has previously made unfounded claims about voter fraud, particularly alleging that noncitizens will vote in the upcoming election.

“There’s a reason Joe Biden brought people here illegally,” Paxton said on a radio show earlier this month. “I’m convinced that that’s how they’re going to do it this time, they’re going to use the illegal vote. Why were they brought in, why did he bring in 14 million people? He brought them here to vote.”

Paxton also falsely claimed that immigrants were being given Social Security numbers at the border. There is no evidence supporting this claim or suggesting that noncitizens are voting in significant numbers.

In his release about the raids, Paxton stated that his office would not comment further on the investigation. NBC News reached out for additional comment but has not received a response.

Latino leaders have called for a Department of Justice investigation, alleging that the raids are a political tactic aimed at suppressing Latino votes. A Justice Department spokesperson said they are aware of the situation but declined to comment.

“It is disgraceful and outrageous that the state of Texas, and its highest-ranking law enforcement officer, is once again using the power of his office to instill fear in the hearts of community members who volunteer their time to promote civic engagement,” said Gabriel Rosales, Texas state director of LULAC.

“I have been contacted by elderly residents who are confused and frightened, wondering why they have been singled out. Attorney General Paxton’s actions clearly aim to suppress the Latino vote through intimidation and any means necessary to tilt the electoral process in favor of his political allies,” Rosales added.

Cecilia Castellano, a candidate for state House District 80, reported being served a search warrant for her phone at 6 a.m. on the same day as the other raids. Medina is working on Castellano’s campaign.

“I was still asleep and I was woken up by my doorbell and then a hard knock,” Castellano told NBC News. “I went to the front [door] and I have these flashlights flashing into my home.”

The officer left with her work phone. Castellano felt the search was politically motivated and was informed that two other campaign volunteers had also been served warrants. She stated that she has never assisted with voter registration or mail-in voting and was unsure of the investigation's focus.

When Martinez answered her door at 6 a.m. to water her plants, she encountered a group of armed officers with badges and riot shields carrying a search warrant. Still in her nightgown, Martinez requested to change but was instead forced to sit in her dining room for four hours while the agents searched her home.

“They searched everything. My underwear, my bras, my nightgowns, everything,” Martinez, a 35-year LULAC member, said. “They went into my garage. They opened up my car. They went through my whole car, my whole garage, my refrigerator, my kitchen cabinets, everything.”

Martinez was made to stand outside in her nightgown while officers searched her home. She was questioned about Manuel Medina and her involvement with LULAC. The officers left with her appointment book, cellphone, laptop, blank voter registration cards, and her voter registration course certification.

Martinez noted that nine officers were involved in the search. Her family has asked her to stop her LULAC volunteer work due to fears of legal consequences.

"I grew up on the west side of San Antonio. My dad had two grocery stores and he taught us the right to vote," Martinez said. She added that her five brothers, including one killed in Vietnam, served in the armed forces. Martinez is also a commander with the American Legion.

"They're trying to stop us from registering voters and helping, especially the seniors," she said.

Mary Ann Obregon, mayor of Dilley, about 71 miles south of San Antonio, reported that officers showed up at her home and demanded her phone. She was not shown the search warrant until after retrieving her phone. Afterward, she said she became very emotional and cried.