A federal court ruled Wednesday that North Carolina’s new congressional gerrymander — pushed by President Donald Trump to give Republicans another U.S. House seat — can be used for the 2026 elections. Voting rights groups have warned the map further weakens Black voting power for partisan gain.

The three-judge federal panel rejected emergency requests from civil rights groups and cleared the way for the mid-decade gerrymander even as it acknowledged the seriousness of the risk to Black voting representation.

“Plaintiffs allege constitutional violations that, if proven, cannot be fully redressed after the upcoming elections,” the judges wrote.“‘Discriminatory voting procedures in particular are the kind of serious violation of the Constitution for which courts have granted immediate relief’ because ‘once the election occurs, there can be no do-over and no redress.’”

Despite that warning, the panel denied all requests to block the map for 2026.