SAN ANTONIO — Members of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) held a news conference Monday to respond to allegations by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton related to assisting community members with voter registration.
LULAC says Paxton's Elections Integrity Unit conducted raids at the homes of some of the volunteers, including one woman in her 80s.
On Wednesday, Paxton said he launched an investigation into reports that organizations may be illegally registering non-citizens to vote during the 2022 elections. He said booths had been set up outside DPS offices around South Texas. The raids took place in Bexar, Atascosa and Frio counties.
Monday, organization leaders and some of the people whose homes were raided gathered in front of AG Paxton's San Antonio offices on San Pedro to describe their experience and respond to the allegations.
Lidia Martinez, a volunteer and great-grandmother in her 80s, was woken up in the early morning hours on Tuesday. She said nine law enforcement agents searched her home and questioned her for hours.
"After two hours of questioning, they took me outside in front of all of my neighbors for half an hour while they searched the living room where I had been sitting. They continued to question me, asking about LULAC members," Martinez said. "I said, 'what do you want from me? I am an old lady, all I do is help the seniors."
Martinez said she's been politically engaged since she was a little girl growing up in San Antonio. She never imagined to be trapped in such activity.
“I said I feel like I’m in Russia," Martinez said. “I asked them why they were there and they said because of voter fraud. And I said I’m not guilty of that.”
LULAC leadership staff said agents questioned Martinez on whether she filled out registration forms for people. LULAC says its volunteers help work with voters to make sure they know their rights and they do not fill out forms for them. They say Paxton's raids are politically motivated and are designed to suppress votes.
Imelda Rodriguez, 73, and Mary Ann Obregon, 80, were also present at the news conference to tell their experience of having their homes raided.
LULAC is asking the US Dept. of Justice and the FBI to investigate Paxton and his agents for abuse of the elderly, children, violations of the federal Voting Rights Act of 1963.
“This is the United States of America and when we say, ‘With Liberty and Justice for All,’ we mean all, and Mr. Paxton, justice is coming for you too," said Gabriel Rosales, the state director LULAC in Texas. “It’s alright to have voter integrity. We believe in that, but don’t go after grandmothers for trying to get the vote out.”
Ken Paxton said in a news release that his office would not answer any further questions about the investigation.