The top congressional Democrats, Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer, have criticized the Supreme Court's decision to invalidate the Voting Rights Act, which protects minority voters from discriminatory legal practices. The court's conservative majority ruled that states could manipulate voting power without intentionally intending to discriminate. Justice Samuel Alito, the majority's opinion, stated that consideration of race in governmental decisions was unconstitutional. The ruling effectively ends the Voting Right Act's protections for minority voters, who will likely be targeted in Republican redistricting efforts.