Judge blocks Houston minority contracting program
Analysis based on 8 articles · First reported Jul 28, 2026 · Last updated Jul 28, 2026
The ruling may affect municipal contracting programs nationwide, potentially reducing opportunities for minority-owned businesses. Companies that rely on such set-asides could see decreased revenue, while non-minority firms may gain access to previously restricted contracts.
U.S. District Judge David Hittner on July 28, 2026, permanently blocked the city of United States — Houston, Texas, from enforcing race-conscious policies in its Minority, Women, and Small Business Enterprise Program, which set aside public contracts for minority-owned businesses. The ruling applied the U.S. Supreme Court's 2023 affirmative action decision to municipal contracting, finding the policies unconstitutional under the 14th Amendment. The lawsuit was filed by Landscape Consultants of Texas and Metropolitan Landscape Management, owned by Jerry and Theresa Thompson, represented by Pacific Legal Foundation. The city failed to show evidence of past discrimination to justify race-based preferences.
Set up alerts, explore entity relationships, search across thousands of events, and build custom intelligence feeds.
Open Dashboard