Senator John Cornyn of Texas has written to FBI director Kash Patel, urging the bureau to assist Texas law enforcement in locating and arresting Democratic lawmakers who left the state to block a Republican-backed plan to redraw congressional districts. The move comes after more than 50 Democrats fled to Illinois, New York and Massachusetts to deny the Texas House a quorum.
Governor Greg Abbott filed an emergency petition with the Texas Supreme Court seeking to remove state representative Gene Wu, chair of the House Democratic caucus, from office. Wu is among those who have sought refuge in Illinois. Abbott also backed calls for consequences against the absent legislators.
Former President Donald Trump weighed in, telling reporters that the FBI “may have to” get involved. “The governor of Texas is demanding they come back. A lot of people have demanded they come back. You can’t just sit it out. You have to go back,” Trump said.
Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows has already signed civil arrest warrants for the absent Democrats. Meanwhile, Democratic National Committee chair Ken Martin condemned Abbott’s actions as “morally repugnant” and a “weak attempt at Trump-style intimidation”.
The standoff threatens to delay the redrawing of Texas’s congressional map, a process that could benefit Republicans in the 2026 midterm elections. The Democratic lawmakers have indicated they will remain out of state until the redistricting plan is abandoned.
