New York, NY —

A New York village that's almost half Hispanic, but governed mainly by whites has asked a federal judge to let its politics evolve naturally, instead of canceling elections and imposing a new system to give Hispanics a greater voice.

An attorney for Port Chester says "an organic and natural system is beginning to take hold" to benefit Hispanics. The attorney says cutting the village into districts to increase Hispanic representation, as the Department of Justice requested, would officially segregate the village. The attorney spoke during closing arguments on the government's request for an injunction against village trustee elections scheduled for March 20th.

The Department of Justice claims the village's elections violates the Voting Rights Act.