By Brad Brooks, Andrew Hay and Costas Pitas (Reuters) -A federal court on Tuesday blocked Texas from using a new congressional map intended to flip several Democratic-held U.S. House of Representatives seats to Republicans in the 2026 midterm elections,

The court ruling came after California voters formally approved a ballot measure that was introduced to counteract Texas' redistricting.

The new lines, which were designed to help the GOP gain up to five House seats in next year's midterm elections, triggered a nationwide redistricting battle.

A federal court on Tuesday blocked Texas from using a redrawn congressional map that touched off a nationwide redistricting battle, a major piece of President Donald Trump’s efforts to preserve a slim Republican majority ahead of the 2026 elections.

Both Texas and California have redrawn their congressional maps. Both efforts are facing legal challenges - and there are differences.

In yet another blow to the Trump administration’s ongoing redistricting pressure campaign, a federal court on Tuesday enjoined the use of Texas’ new map and ordered it to use its previous map for the 2026 election. In his ruling, District Judge Jeff Brown, who is a 2019 Trump appointee, said that the map is racially gerrymandered.

According to court documents, a federal judge in San Antonio ruled that Senate Bill 10 (SB 10) likely violates a clause of the First Amendment and temporarily ordered 14 Texas Independent School Districts (ISDs) not to display the Ten Commandments in their classrooms.

A federal judge has ordered a dozen Texas public school districts to remove displays of the Ten Commandments from their classrooms by December, saying that a state law

A federal court has barred Texas from using its redrawn congressional map, dealing a blow to Republicans who hoped the map would help the party maintain control in next year’s midterm elections.