Which court orders required Texas to redraw maps for the 2022 midterms and what were the issuance dates?

1. What the court ordered and when — the core ruling

On November 18, 2025, a three‑judge federal panel in El Paso blocked Texas from using the congressional redistricting plan passed by the 89th Legislature (the 2025 map often called H.B.4 or “Big Beautiful Map”) and enjoined its use for the 2026 midterm elections; the panel ordered that the state continue to use the map enacted in 2021 instead ^{[3] [2] [1]}. The panel’s decision was released as an injunction while the litigation proceeds and as Texas prepares to appeal to higher courts ^{[1] [2]}.

2. Which court issued the order — the institutional source

The order came from a federal three‑judge panel assigned to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, El Paso Division — the same court handling consolidated challenges to Texas redistricting — and was signed as part of that panel’s ruling in the consolidated litigation ^{[3] [4]}. Coverage across national outlets confirms the El Paso panel as the issuing forum for the injunction ^{[1] [2]}.

3. Legal basis the judges cited — race, not mere partisanship

The panel’s majority found substantial evidence that the newly enacted map amounted to a likely racial gerrymander in violation of federal law, distinguishing racial‑gerrymandering claims (still justiciable) from purely partisan claims (which the Supreme Court curtailed in 2019); that factual finding undergirded the injunction ordering use of the 2021 map ^{[5] [4] [1]}. Reporting notes the judges pointed to statements and evidence that race played a decisive role in drawing lines, which is central to Section 2 and constitutional race‑based claims ^{[1] [2]}.

4. Practical effect on election administration and timelines

The panel explicitly ordered that primary and general election preparations proceed under the 2021 congressional map while litigation continues, which has immediate implications for candidate filing, ballots, and county administration ahead of the March 2026 primaries and the November 2026 general election ^{[6] [2]}. Commentators and local officials warned the injunction could scramble filing plans and create administrative headaches, a point courts typically weigh under the Purcell doctrine when altering election rules close to an election ^{[7] [6]}.

5. What the state and allies say — expected appeals and political framing

Texas officials — including the governor and attorney general — quickly announced appeals, with the state signaling it would ask the U.S. Supreme Court for relief and calling the map lawful; Attorney General Ken Paxton and allied Republicans framed the decision as federal overreach and vowed further litigation ^{[1] [2]}. Proponents argued the redraw was motivated by legal and demographic concerns and disputed that race drove the map’s design ^{[8] [1]}.

6. What civil‑rights plaintiffs and DOJ argued — dilution and Section 2

Civil‑rights groups and the U.S. Department of Justice argued that the 2025 map diluted Latino and Black voting strength in key regions and violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act; plaintiffs sought an injunction barring use of the plan and an interim court‑drawn map if necessary — relief the panel granted by restoring the 2021 lines for now ^{[9] [4] [1]}.

7. Alternative viewpoints and limitations in reporting

Coverage broadly agrees on the November 18, 2025 injunction and the order to use the 2021 plan; however, available sources do not mention detailed internal vote counts by individual judges beyond noting the 2–1 panel split, nor do they include the full text of the panel’s opinion in every outlet cited here ^{[1] [2] [10]}. Some outlets emphasize the racial‑gerrymandering finding; others stress the political stakes — both frames are supported in the reporting ^{[5] [10] [2]}.

8. What to watch next — appeals and the Supreme Court

All reporting indicates an immediate appeal is expected, including a likely petition to the U.S. Supreme Court, meaning this injunction could be stayed, narrowed, or reversed before final ballots are printed; expect procedural filings and potential emergency requests from Texas in the days and weeks after the November 18 order ^{[1] [2] [5]}. Monitoring filings in the Fifth Circuit and the Supreme Court will show whether the 2021 map remains in place or the 2025 plan survives for the midterms ^{[2] [1]}.

Sources cited: U.S. District Court order reporting and state materials ^[3], national news coverage and reactions ^{[1] [2] [5]}, litigation summaries ^{[9] [4]}, and local analysis of electoral effects ^{[6] [7]}.