After the state of Louisiana issued new congressional district maps in January 2024, a group of non-Black voters filed a lawsuit claiming the new districts were racially manipulated and violated the 14th and 15th Amendments. The United States Supreme Court must now decide if the Voting Rights Act of 1965 still protects minority voters’ right to a majority-minority district — or whether these protections go too far.
Louisiana v. Callais, as the case is known, is a landmark voting rights case before the Supreme Court. A 2020 census found that nearly one-third of Louisiana residents are Black, yet the state has only one majority-Black district. Black Louisiana voters sued the state in 2020 in Robinson v. Landry, arguing that the maps diluted their voting power and violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. A federal district judge agreed and ordered that new maps be drawn to include a second majority-Black district. Louisiana v. Callais is a countersuit to this one.
With a majority conservative court and a chief justice who has been “antagonistic to the VRA throughout his career,” it seems likely the Supreme Court could rule in favor of the non-Black voters.
This would have drastic national implications. Congressional maps across the country could be redrawn, wiping out 19 congressional seats protected by the VRA and eliminating any chance a Democrat has to win a congressional seat in the South, according to the Center for American Progress.
New Orleans may be one of the victims of this redistricting.
Tulane University’s Uptown and Downtown campuses are located in Louisiana’s 2nd Congressional District, a majority-Black district threatened by this case. Most Tulane community members who live in the neighborhoods around campus are represented by Democrat Rep. Troy Carter. If District 2 is redrawn, Tulanians could see their political influence dramatically altered.
Even though most Tulane students are not from Louisiana originally, about 19% are registered to vote in the state, according to a survey by The Tulane Hullabaloo from 2024.
Democratic representatives often support expanding voting rights for college students, while Republican lawmakers have frequently opposed such measures. GOP officials have pushed for restrictions that make it harder for out-of-state students to vote, blocked electronic verification systems and limited early voting on college campuses. The cumulative effect discourages young voters and reduces student turnout for future elections.
If Carter loses his seat, Tulane could lose key funding and community partnerships. During Carter’s tenure, he has advocated for federal funding for Tulane’s research programs and intervened when Republican-led budget proposals threatened university grants. He also advocated for free speech protections on campus and partnered with the Louisiana Children’s Medical Center Health to strengthen community healthcare services and academic medicine.
This Supreme Court case directly affects the Tulane community’s representation in Congress, and warning signs are already flashing: The Louisiana legislature convened a special session after the SCOTUS arguments — perhaps an indication that GOP leaders feel confident about the outcome. The Louisiana Legislature also passed new rules to move up filing deadlines, preparing for a potential map that reverts to the old district lines — a move that would eliminate Louisiana’s second majority-Black district.
Voters who face obstacles and struggles are less likely to return to the polls. Citizens in districts where the lines change every election cycle cannot forge connections with their elected representatives.
For college students, constant uncertainty about who represents them, or which district they live in, could turn many young voters away from participating in our democratic process.