U.S. Supreme Court halts effort to redraw Rep. Malliotakis' district in Staten Island, south Brooklyn | amNewYork

"Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Jeffrey Pearlman found in January that the boundaries of New York's 11th Congressional District unlawfully dilute the voting power of Black and Latino residents, who make up roughly 30% of Staten Island's population."

"Writing for the majority on the high court in its ruling late Monday, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito said Pearlman's ruling which included an order for New York's Independent Redistricting Commission to redraw congressional district lines to tip the scales back toward Black and Latino votes amounted to unadorned racial discrimination."

"U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote for the dissent that SCOTUS has consistently held that federal courts should not meddle with state election laws ahead of an election. Today, the Court says: except for this one, except for this one, and except for this one, Sotomayor wrote."

The U.S. Supreme Court issued a 6-3 ruling along party lines that lifted a Manhattan judge's order requiring reconfiguration of New York's congressional district lines. Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Jeffrey Pearlman had found that the boundaries of New York's 11th Congressional District unlawfully dilute voting power of Black and Latino residents comprising roughly 30% of Staten Island's population. The ruling preserves the seat of Republican U.S. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis. Justice Samuel Alito wrote for the majority that the lower court's ruling amounted to racial discrimination. Justice Sonia Sotomayor dissented, arguing federal courts should not interfere with state election laws before elections.

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