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The US Justice Department have officially joined a legal challenge brought forward by California Republicans, aiming to prevent the state's newly approved congressional redistricting map.

This legal action, filed in a US district court, challenges the map championed by Governor Gavin Newsom, which was created in reaction against a GOP redistricting effort in Texas.

"The state's redistricting scheme represents a blatant attempt to seize control that violates voting rights and undermines the democratic process," declared the nation's top law enforcement official.

Democrats have voiced assurance that the redistricting plan will survive legal scrutiny.

"The plaintiffs lost at the ballot box and soon they will face defeat in the judicial system," commented a spokesperson for Governor Newsom.

Constitutional Challenge

The lawsuit claims that California's map wrongfully utilized racial considerations to significantly advantage Hispanic voters in contravention of the federal constitution.

"It is unconstitutional to use race as a proxy to advance political interests, but that is exactly what the state legislature did with the redistricting measure," stated a high-ranking representative from the DOJ's civil rights unit.

Political Context

The legal battle constitutes the most significant response by Democrats in the continuing political battle that began in Texas and has spread across various parts of the country.

In contrast to elsewhere, where Republican state legislatures have enacted gerrymanders, California's plan required public consent, which it received with approximately two-thirds of the vote.

Wider Consequences

The Democratic party need to flip just a small number of Republican-held House seats to gain majority of the chamber in next year's congressional elections.

The party that holds the majority will shape the remaining period of the current administration, determining whether a GOP-controlled legislature will continue to deliver its political program or face resistance, congressional probes and possible further challenges.

• Legal representation for the plaintiffs is being provided by a well-known legal group
• The managing partner currently holds the position of senior DOJ official
• Nevertheless, this attorney has been recused from this particular case