Asian American lawmaker in the middle of fray of Texas' gerrymandering scheme

Texas Rep. Gene Wu leads Democratic walkout

In the middle of the Texas gerrymandering scheme and the partisan war is lawmaker Gene Wu, who led the Texas Democratic legislators' walkout as a tactic to prevent the Republicans from further reconfiguring the state's congressional districts to give Republicans five new seats.

Donald Trump's order for Texas to create five more GOP-majority districts
has triggered signal an extraordinarily dangerous period for American democracy.

Texas State Rep. Wu says the push to redraw political maps ahead of the 2026 midterm elections is designed to protect Trump and the Republican-majority Congress from the expected midterm voter backlash, particularly from Asian, Black and Hispanic communities.

Speaking at the Aug.14 news conference — jointly organized by American Community Media and Houston Ethnic Media — Wu said: “What they’re trying to do is rewrite the rules in the middle of the game because they know they know they’re going to lose. Everything that’s happening is so incredibly unpopular, not just what President Trump is doing, but also what Republicans are doing in Congress.”

Wu contnued: “Trump’s big, beautiful bill makes massive cuts to communities all across Texas, not just in liberal cities, but also in rural communities. It also affects farmers, also affects workers, affects everybody. And people are starting to wake up to that and they know this. Republicans know this and they know that people are gonna blame them for going along with Trump. And so they’re trying to cut it off preemptively."

The gerrymandered maps easily passed the GOP-dominated state Senate on a 19-2 vote. The proposal then moved to the House which couldn't act on the motion because they couldn't muster a quorum beecause 50 Texas House Democrats fled the state two weeks ago.

The Texas Democrats announced Aug. 14 that they plan to return Aug. 18, after the end of a special session imposed by Texas Governor Greg Abbott. The governor will have to call another special session to get the redistricted maps passed.

The gerrymandering effort was instigated by Trump but put into motion by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott who wants to produce five new seats for Republicans, mid-decade (long after the census taken every 10 years). Texas already has one of the most gerrymandered states but this motion where Democrats have only a smidgen of input. The new effort will further erode the representation of Asian, Black and Hispanice voters.

The Asian American population in Texas has grown fast. From 2022 to 2023, the population of Asian Texans increased more than any other racial group in the state and outpaced overall state growth, driven by a population surge of South Asians, the largest Asian American group in the state, according to the US Census Bureau.

If the new maps are adopted, the influence of Black and Hispanic voters will be weakened or diluted. In addition, the growing Asian American populations in Fort Bend County and Southwest Houston would be cut apart and reassigned to districts that are geographically distanced, reducing their power as a voting bloc.

Wu, an immigrant from China, was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 2012 and has been a leader of the Texas Democrats for years. He has endured racist insults for his entire political career. His prominent role in the walkout unleashed another round of hate from conservatives, including the state's Republican leaders, accusing him of an allegiance to the Peoples' Republic of China and the Chinese Communist Party.

One of the worst offenders is state Sen. Mayes Middleton. “Is Gene Wu back in China?” the Texas Tribune reports.

The media outlet quotes Middleton saying. “If he wants a refresher course on Marxism, I’m sure the CCP will take him back.”

Middleton's office did not respond to the Texas Tribune's request for a comment.

Wu, for his part, has refused to take the racist remarks and red-baiting and respond to the allegations. However, other Democrats have criticized the overt racism.

“Gene has strength and grace that not a lot of us probably would have if we were tested in similar ways,” says Rep. Chris Turner, who sits next to Wu on the House floor. He told the Texas Tribune: “That said, it’s infuriating, it’s unacceptable and the people who are responsible for it ought to be ashamed. But again, in today’s Republican party, there is no shame.”

“There was a time where someone made a racist comment — especially in a community setting or in a testimony — we would have our elected officials move swiftly to correct them, to correct the record, to defend our elected officials,” said Amatullah Contractor, of the Asian American Democrats of Texas, who was interviewed by the Texas Tribune. “When our elected officials start making these comments, then it is a free for all.”

As the Texas Democrats filter back to their state, they will most likely face retaliatory actions from the Republicans.

In retaliation to Wu's leadership, Gov. Abbott is seekingt to remove Wu from his seat because the Chinese American politician was not fulfilling his "constitutional" duty while he was out of state. The Texas Republican Attorney General has asked the Texas Supreme Court to remove all of the absent Democrats from office.

“If our voices no longer matter, if what we say no longer matters, then there is no democracy left,” responded Wu, saying he will contest any attempt to remove the Democrats from their elected positions.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom launches effort to counter Trump's electoral scheme.

The Texas Democrats'  unusual action brought national attention to Trump's scheme to subvert the democratic process in favor of the Republicans because the GOP is afraid it would lose in a straight-up election. 

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he would fight fire with fire. If the Trump scheme is passed in Texs, He would seek to gerrymander his state's district to remove California's few Congressional Republicans from their districts.

“California will not sit idle as Trump and his Republican lapdogs shred our country’s democracy before our very eyes. In just six months, Trump’s unchecked power has cost Americans billions and taken an ax to the greatest democracy we’ve ever known," Newsom said in a press statement. "This moment calls for urgency and action – that is what we are putting before voters this November, a chance to fight back against his anti-American ways.”

“Texas House Democrats broke quorum and successfully mobilized the nation against Trump's assault on minority voting rights," Wu said in his Aug. 14 statement. “Facing threats of arrest, lawfare, financial penalties, harassment, and bomb threats, we have stood firm in our fight against a proposed Jim Crow congressional district map.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news, views and chismis from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, BlueSky,on X or at the blog Views From the Edge. Now on BlueSky.

AAPI groups join lawsuit vs. Texas voter suppression law

Texas lawmaker Gene Wu was one of the Democrats who went to Washington.

Asian Americans have joined a lawsuit challenging measure restricting voting in Texas.

“By law, the citizens of Texas all have the same right to vote, regardless of race or disability. But with S.B. 1, the legislature is undermining equal access to the ballot box,” said Sean Morales-Doyle of the Brennan Center for Justice, one of the groups behind the lawsuit. “The myriad restrictions in their legislation will be felt most by Latino, Black, and Asian American voters, voters with disabilities, and elderly voters.”

“Texas has a history of violating Section 208 of the Voting Rights Act – we will continue to fight when Texas tries to limit the federal rights of limited English speaking voters to get the language assistance they need," said Deborah Chen, Civic Engagement Programs Director with Organization of Chinese Associations - Greater Houston. 

"The SB1 restrictions needlessly erect barriers for Immigrant, limited English proficient, seniors, and working class Asian American Pacific Islander citizens to exercise their right to vote, and go against the principle of equitable access,” 

The lawsuit filed Friday was brought on behalf of the OCA of Greater Houston. League of Women Voters of Texas, the Texas Organizing Project, Workers Defense Action Fund, Register, Educate and Vote, & Use your Power - Texas (REV UP Texas).

In their lawsuit — filed by co-counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Texas, Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Disability Rights Texas, the Texas Civil Rights Project and the law firm of Jenner & Block LLP, — these organizations argue that numerous provisions of the bill violate the Voting Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the U.S. Constitution.

The legislation makes it virtually impossible for members of the plaintiff organizations to vote, especially those who are more comfortable with languages other than English, those with disabilities, and who have no option but to vote by mail. SB 1 is opposed by diverse groups of Texans — from business executives, faith leaders, community organizers, local elected officials and countless everyday Texans — including those represented by MOVE Texas, Common Cause Texas, Texas Freedom Network, AFL-CIO Texas, Black Voters Matter and Jolt Texas.

Recent non-partisan polling shows most voters, regardless of political party, believe that all Texans should have equal access to the ballot box. SB 1 would not only make voting harder for all Texans, it threatens to harm communities of color and Texans with disabilities the most.

SB 1 would increase protections for partisan poll watchers, which critics say is a form of intimidation, and add new ID requirements for voting by mail  

SB 1 would also outlaw drive-thru voting and require voting to happen inside a building. It also would ban 24-hour voting and the distribution of unsolicited mail-in ballot applications.

On July 12, Texas House Democrats left the state leaving the House without a quorum to vote on the bill. They headed for the nation’s capital in a high-profile effort to block passage of GOP-backed voting restrictions.

After a month of lobbying members of Congress, the Democrats returned and the House passed the measure last Tuesday. Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott is  expected to sign it into law.

"SB1’s restrictions on any assistance outside of reading and marking the ballot, like answering questions on how to use the voting machine or where to drop the completed ballot at the polling place, and SB1’s criminalization of anyone answering those questions, unlawfully restricts the broad voting assistance rights under Section 208 of the Voting Rights Act,” said Susana Lorenzo-Giguere, Senior Staff Attorney at AALDEF.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For more commentary and references, follow me on Twitter @dioknoed.

Democratic AAPI lawmaker flees Texas to avoid voting on controversial state bill restricting voting

SCREEN CAPTURE / TWITTER

Texas lawmaker, Rep. Gene Wu, issued a statement just before boarding a flight out of state.

Before he boarded the charter flight to Washington DC, Gene Wu, Texas state Rep. for District 137, just south of Houston, took the time to issue a statement through his social media.

"Texas Democrats are in this for the long haul," he said behind his facemask at the Austin airport. "A lot of us are making immense sacrifices to do this. We are not doing this for us. We're doing it for you We're doing it for Texans everywhere.

"We need all of you, right now, to be part of this. This sis not just us. This is everyone together. We're fighting for the rights of all Texans."

Wu, along with 50 other Democratic lawmakers from Texas, was boarding the flight to Washington to try to sway the U.S. Senate, to pass federal voting laws that would to overrule state attempts to restrict the voting of people of color, students and poor people.

Wu and his fellow Democrats were leaving Texas hoping that a lack of a quorum would prevent a vote on Republican-backed bills intended to make it more difficult for people to vote.

The Democrats' strategy could paralyze the Legislature for weeks if they remain out of state until this special session ends in August. It is the only move the Democrats have left in a Republican controlled legislature. They hope federal law would preempt Texas Republicans' power grab to try to make it harder for voters of color -- Latinos, Blacks and a growing Asian American electorate -- to exercise their right to vote.

Traditionally, Texas could be relied on to vote Republican in state and federal elections but as the 2018 and 2020 elections have shown, the GOP majority is getting slimmer because of the influx of newly naturalized immigrants and emigrants from liberal states such as California.

As the Democratic lawmakers were boarding their flights, they indicated they were renewing their calls for Congress to pass the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, H.R. 1 and H.R. 4, respectively, far-reaching federal legislation that would preempt significant portions of the Texas bills and similar bills in other GOP-dominated states, and reinstate federal oversight of elections in states with troubling records.

“We are now taking the fight to our nation’s Capitol," the Democrats said in a prepared statement. "We are living on borrowed time in Texas."

Judge blocks Texas anti-immigrant law

YOUTUBE

Texas state Rep. Gene Wu fought back tears in opposing SB 4.

A FEDERAL district judge on Wednesday (AUG. 30) blocked temporarily a proposed Texas law that would have banned sanctuary cities in the state, just two days before implementation of the law.

Federal District Court Judge Orlando Garcia granted a preliminary injunction of the sanctuary cities ban, Senate Bill 4, saying in his ruling that the law would have eroded the relationship between local law enforcement and immigrant communities.

In a 94-page ruling, Garcia wrote that there "is overwhelming evidence by local officials, including local law enforcement, that SB 4 will erode public trust and make many communities and neighborhoods less safe," adding that "localities will suffer adverse economic consequences which, in turn, will harm the state of Texas."

RELATED: Lawmaker's emotional appeal cites anti-Asian history

“Texans are still under threat from a catastrophic hurricane and the last thing they need is Trump’s deportation force." said Gilberto Hinojosa, chair of the Democratic Party.

“Texas Democrats applaud the Court’s decision to immediately halt Gov. Greg Abbott’s dangerous bill.

“Our communities and police chiefs understand the ‘show-me-your-papers’ bill is dangerous and makes no one safer.

The new law was preempted by federal immigration law, which supersedes state law, the judge found.

"The Court cannot and does not second guess the Legislature," Garcia continued. "However, the state may not exercise its authority in a manner that violates the United States Constitution."

Garcia, who was appointed by former President Bill Clinton in 1994, is the Chief United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas.

The would-be law, SB4, was signed by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) in May,. If implemented it would allow Texas state officials to fine local officials who implement policies aimed at limiting enforcement of federal immigration laws. State officials can even remove those local officials from office, the bill says.

If implemented, the would have allowed law enforcement agencies to stop and question anyone who is suspected to be undocumented. About 40 percent of Texas' population are immigrants with large pockets of South Asians, Vietnamese, Chinese and Filipinos.

Abbott said the state would appeal the judge's ruling.

The suit was filed by Texas largest cities, including Houston, the ACLU and the League of United Latin American Citizens. SB4 was opposed by many of the state's police chiefs and law enforcement agencies.

_________________________________________________________________

Texas' anti-immigrant law challenged in the courts

SCREEN CAPTURE

Texas State Rep. Gene Wu fought his emotions in  his statement against SB 4.

AS EXPECTED, Texas Gov, Greg Abbott signed SB 4 last Sunday, May 7, a bill that many contend is anti-immigrant and unconstitutional.

SB 4, known as the Sanctuary Cities law, strips local communities of their power to set local law enforcement policies regarding the treatment of immigrants and mandates that Texas local law enforcement agencies respond to unconstitutional immigration detainer requests. 

Although largely aimed at people who cross over the U.S. border shared with Mexico, the bill would affect anybody who "looks" like an immigrant or police "suspect" might be an undocumented immigrant. In other words, don't expect Canadians and Europeans to be asked to "show their papers."

"Senate Bill 4 is a solution in search of a problem," said State Representative Gene Wu, who gave an emotional argument against the bill. "This is a bill that has been crafted out of fear and hatred of immigrants ... The bill as passed, would not just detain criminals, but would target children, victims of crimes, and even immigrants who served in our armed forces." 

"In Texas, 8 percent of undocumented immigrants are from Asian countries, so the fear of mass deportations is a reality in the Asian community," said John Yang, President and executive director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice, a national civil rights organization, speaking at a press conference today.

SB 4 allows local law enforcement to ask individuals who are lawfully detained (even for a traffic stop) about their immigration status. Essentially, SB 4 requires Texans to “show their papers.”

RELATED: 

• Is scapegoating immigrants a real fear, or is it a strategy?
• One in 7 Asian/American immigrants are undocumented.

AAAJ joins the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF). the League of United Latino American Citizens (LULAC) and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)  in condemning the proposed law) which would go into effect in September. Both civil rights organization are planning to challenge the law in court.

"This is a frivolous legal action, filed precipitously and without basis in the law," said Thomas A Saennz, president and general council of MALDEF. 

“SB 4 is constitutional, lawful and a vital step in securing our borders,” Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a prepared statement explaining why he filed the lawsuit, in which Austin, Travis County and the county's sheriff, Sally Hernandez, are named as defendants. “SB 4 guarantees cooperation among federal, state and local law enforcement to protect Texans. Unfortunately, some municipalities and law enforcement agencies are unwilling to cooperate with the federal government and claim that SB 4 is unconstitutional.”

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is cautioning people against traveling to Texas, after the state passed SB4, They vow to challenge the law in the courts.

“This law will create distrust between law enforcement and the communities they are sworn to serve and protect, which is why the police chiefs of several of Texas’ largest cities voiced concerns about the bill," said Vanita Gupta, incoming president and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. 

"And, when other states enacted similar anti-immigrant measures, their economies suffered as companies and tourists chose to spend their money elsewhere. We welcome efforts to strike down this reprehensible anti-immigrant law in the courts.”

If Paxton's preemptive lawsuit was meant to scare away opponents, it seems to have backfired.

Yesterday, May 9, The League of United Latin American Citizens, Maverick County and the city of El Cenizo sued the state of Texas on Monday, claiming that SB 4 has failed to properly define a “sanctuary city,” and that the city and county — both on the border with Mexico — have kept their residents safe by choosing to operate as sanctuaries since 1999.

El Cenizo, in Webb County, has about 3,300 residents, many of whom are undocumented immigrants. The lawsuit claims that “Plaintiffs are safer when all people, including undocumented immigrants, feel safe when their local law enforcement officers can be trusted for reporting crimes or just speaking with them about issues in the community."

"SB 4 impermissibly extends immigration enforcement to local officials by forcing local government entities to cooperate with immigration enforcement efforts in a way that violates federal law both constitutionally and statutorily," said the LULAC complaint. 

In response to the lawsuit, Austin City Councilmember Greg Casar said he and his colleagues are being sued for questioning the constitutionality of “this immoral and unethical law.”

“Texas’ top leaders are trying to coerce local elected officials into betraying our immigrant communities,” Casar wrote. “They cannot crush our solidarity or our Constitution.”

The city of Austin said in a response they have opposed this legislation from the beginning. “Our law enforcement professionals have told us this legislation will make our community less safe by degrading the relationship between our residents and the police who protect them.”

"When I first spoke on this bill I couldn’t stop thinking about my boys," said Wu. "This bill and other laws like it are a constant reminder that, despite being born in this nation, they will be seen as outsiders because of the way they look; that the law will treat them with suspicion; and they will have to fight just to be treated equally. I was reminded that this is not the first time laws were passed against immigrants based on fear and hatred. And, it will not be the last."

###

Texas lawmaker's emotional plea on behalf of immigrants brings up anti-Asian actions

Texas state Rep. Gene Wu, center, urged his peers to vote against the anti-immigrant measure.

TEXAS STATE state Representative Gene Wu was visibly emotional as he spoke against Senate Bill 4, a controversial immigration enforcement bill before the Texas House of Representatives.

"This topic is painful for me," said Wu, who represents a district in Houston. "I am an immigrant. My parents are immigrants. I represent a district filled with immigrants."

In his speech last week he struggled to control his emotions as the Democrat spoke about the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which restricted the immigration of Chinese immigrants into the U.S. Wu called attention to the incarceration of Japanese/Americans during World War II. The video of his speech went viral.

SB4 would allow law enforcement officials to ask about a detainee’s immigration status. Police chiefs and sheriffs could face criminal charges if they don't help the federal government enforce immigration laws. 

After 16 hours of debate, the bill passed at 3 a.m. April 30. It still faces several hurdles before it becomes law.

"(The bill) will tell people, 'If you are stopped by the police, they will ask you about immigration status, even if you're trying to help, and you will be deported,'" Wu says.

Wu, who represents the diverse neighborhoods of southwest Houston, came from China with his family when he was just 5-years old.Wu wasn't alone in opposing the bill, Other representatives who are immigrants or have immigrants in their family spoke out against the measure. Many law enforcement officials were against it because they knew they needed to have the trust of the immigrant community in order to fight against crime.

In the end, the vote wasn't even close. The House of Reprsentatives voted for the bill, 93-54. The Texas Senate passed the proposed law in February. It now goes to committee before going to Gov. Greg Abbott.

In addition to mandating police to detain civilians who might be undocumented immigrants, the bill also prohibits Texas cities from passing bills that would curtail SB4's provisions. Police would be required to comply with federal requests to detain suspected undocumented immigrants, making officers an extension of ICE. At its core, SB4 targets "sanctuary city" and profiles people who look like an immigrant.

It seems unlikely that Republican Gov. Abbott will veto SB4 given his past statements about defunding sanctuary cities.

“Many members on the floor came up and told me, ‘We know this is wrong... but we’re going to do it anyway. Because we need to stay elected,'” said Wu.

###

Help make your parents become U.S. citizens

Rep. Gene Wu in the Texas House of Representative

By Rep. Gene Wu
REPRINTED BY PERMISSION OF NEW AMERICA MEDIA
LIKE MILLIONS of other immigrant families, my family came to this country with not much more than the change in our pockets. Born in Guangzhou, China, I was four years old when we moved to the United States. I grew up in southwest Houston, where I now have the honor of serving as a member of the Texas House of Representatives.

While my family’s specific story may differ, our experiences echo those of other immigrants. Our fathers suffered long and brutal days working for little money in jobs that didn’t respect their intelligence or education. Our mothers scrimped and sacrificed to make ends meet, and to give us the best education possible. Our parents endured the physical hardships, endured the insults of people strange to them, and continued demeaning jobs because they believed in something better. Something better for us.

Over the decades, hard work and perseverance has lifted our family into middle class. Today, I am an attorney and state representative in one of the most diverse cities in America. Our family’s story is the story of immigrant families repeated countless times across the United States. Today, our families run successful businesses, employ millions of people, and we have a lifestyle envied by the entire world. We owe a debt of gratitude to our parents that is often unsaid, but felt deeply in the bonds of our families.

There is one perfect way to pay our parents back: give them power, give them respect, give them voice. Help them become citizens, and take them to vote.

In the nine years that I have been a volunteer with our monthly Citizenship and Immigration Forum, I have meet thousands of eligible people who have lived in this nation for decades without applying for citizenship. Some didn’t know that the law only required that they have a Green Card for five years, some never applied out of complacency. But, no matter the reason, the result has been that millions of immigrants are forgoing citizenship. 

Citizenship means respect. As a citizen, you are a formal member of American society. You are able to vote and direct our democracy. You are able to enjoy the benefits and respect of being a citizen. You can look that one guy in the eyes and, when he asks you where you’re from for the third time, you just say: “the United States of America.” 

Citizenship is voice. None of the horrible things that have been said about immigrants in this election year are new. They were said to our parents’ faces, and whispered behind our backs. The difference is that it’s now being said at a national level. Voting is a way to yell back at those who mock and demean us. While your voice may not feel very loud on its own, when enough people are shouting, it starts adding up. Voting will give your immigrant community political power that is far greater than its physical presence.

I come from a culture where, even as an elected official, my parents cautioned me not to “rock the boat.” But, America is a nation where no one will address your community’s issues unless you are willing to create some waves. I and many other officials from immigrant communities would not have been elected without the help of voters from those communities. The only effective way to combat those who attack our communities is by voting. We must elect people who hear our voices, and are willing to engage in our causes.

In honor of Citizenship Day, Sept. 17, organizations across the country and collaborations like the New Americans Campaign are hosting workshops to provide free and low-cost help to those applying for citizenship. If your parents have not been naturalized to become U.S. citizens, ask them why. Find a citizenship workshop near you where you can get help applying. Push them to fill out the forms. Help them get it in the mail. If you and your family are already citizens, make sure you’re registered to vote. Then take them to vote this fall. Tell them it’s time for them to speak up and be respected, be powerful, and be heard. They have built a wonderful life in America; help them stand proud.

Gene Wu is a member of the Texas House of Representatives, representing District 137 in Houston. This column is part of a series of op-eds by public officials about citizenship, published by New America Media in collaboration with the national, nonpartisan network New Americans Campaign. For more information about upcoming citizenship workshops near you, go to: newamericanscampaign.org/events.

###