Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced Monday that he had instructed state police to locate and detain Democratic lawmakers after the state House issued civil arrest warrants for them. The move follows a walkout by more than 50 Democrats who left Texas in an effort to block a vote on a Republican-backed redistricting plan that could secure the GOP five additional congressional seats. Abbott’s order calls on the Texas Department of Public Safety to apprehend and return any legislator who has left the Capitol, with the directive remaining in place until all absent Democrats are back.
Abbott accused the lawmakers of abandoning their responsibilities and stalling key legislation that would assist flood victims and deliver property tax relief. He said their actions have consequences and framed the walkout as a failure to perform their sworn duties.
However, there are limits to what the state can do. Since the Department of Public Safety is a state agency, its jurisdiction does not extend beyond Texas borders. Officers can only act if the lawmakers are located within the state. If found, they can be detained and escorted back to the Capitol.
The Democratic legislators departed Texas on Sunday as a strategic move to delay a vote on the redistricting proposal, which has strong backing from President Trump and is aimed at reshaping district lines ahead of the 2026 midterms. Each day lawmakers refuse to return results in a $500 fine.
Democrats argue that the proposed map is unconstitutional and disproportionately impacts Black and Latino communities in Central Texas. They’ve labeled it a form of voter suppression and an assault on democracy. Many of the lawmakers appear unfazed by Abbott’s threats to remove them from office. State Rep. Jolanda Jones, speaking at a press event in New York, dismissed the governor’s threats as political grandstanding with no legal basis.
Democratic leaders are continuing their pushback. DNC Chair Ken Martin, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, and the Texas Democrats who fled will gather in Chicago for a press event ahead of the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act. Martin has pledged to match Republican tactics with equal force. Democratic governors in other states, including California and New York, have floated the possibility of initiating their own redistricting efforts in response to Texas if the proposed map becomes law. At Monday’s briefing, New York Governor Kathy Hochul made her position clear, saying, “We are at war. The gloves are off. Bring it on.”