(Alexandria, VA) January 26, 2026 — The Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF) filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in support of a stay in Tangipa v Newsom, a case challenging the constitutionality of California’s new congressional map enacted through Proposition 50.
The PILF brief states this Court has previously said (Lucas v. Forty-Fourth Gen. Assembly): “the fact that an apportionment plan is adopted in a popular referendum is insufficient to sustain its constitutionality or to induce a court of equity to refuse to act … ‘One’s right to life, liberty and property … and other fundamental rights may not be submitted to vote; they depend on the outcome of no elections.’ A citizen’s constitutional rights can hardly be infringed simply because a majority of the people choose that it be.”
In Tangipa (United States District Court Central District of California 2:25-cv-10616), map drawer Paul Mitchell publicly admitted to drawing district lines with intentional racial goals.”
The California district courts’ denial of a preliminary injunction in Tangipa impairs the plaintiffs in a seemingly similar, but wholly distinct case Noyes v. Newsom.”
In Noyes, represented by counsel for amicus, plaintiffs are seeking an injunction against the California Prop 50 Congressional District map asserting a straightforward Fifteenth Amendment claim. Noyes is currently stayed pending the outcome in Tangipa.
The Fifteenth Amendment promises “the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged … on account of race.” If the Tangipa ruling is allowed to stand, it could swallow a resolution of the distinct and robust Fifteenth Amendment claims in Noyes.
PILF has extensive expertise in redistricting cases, such as Petteway v. Galveston County and Jackson v. Tarrant County. The Foundation also regularly files amicus briefs in related cases, like Louisiana v. Callais.The Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF) is the nation’s only public interest law firm dedicated wholly to election integrity. The Foundation exists to assist states and others to aid the cause of election integrity and fight against lawlessness in American elections. Drawing on numerous experts in the field, PILF seeks to protect the right to vote and preserve the Constitutional framework of American elections.
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