The controversy grew out of Louisiana’s attempt to account for population shifts after the 2020 census. The legislature drew a new congressional map that had only one majority-Black district out of six, even though Black people made up about one-third of the population.

The conservative-leaning Supreme Court signaled that it could limit the use of race as a factor in drawing congressional districts, a move that could allow red states to redraw districts, potentially giving Republicans control of Congress for decades.

Justice Samuel Alito drilled down on whether race is a proxy for partisan affiliation, during an oral argument Wednesday in a case on whether Louisiana's congressional districts are racially gerrymandered.