The Texas House voted 85–6 Monday to authorize arrest warrants for more than 50 Democrats who left the state to block a vote on Donald Trump-backed redistricting legislation. The sergeant-at-arms was directed to secure their attendance “under warrant of arrest, if necessary.”
Democrats fled to Illinois, New York, and Massachusetts to prevent a quorum, delaying a vote on a congressional map expected to net Republicans five seats ahead of the 2026 midterms. In response, Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the Texas Department of Public Safety and Texas Rangers to locate and arrest the absent members.
Though civil arrest warrants are largely symbolic beyond state lines, Abbott escalated pressure by accusing lawmakers and their supporters of potential bribery. He also pledged to remove them from office, though legal authority for that is unclear.
Democrats have remained defiant, with their caucus releasing a one-line statement: “Come and take it.” In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul called the conflict “a war” and praised the lawmakers as “brave soldiers of democracy.”
The standoff is expected to continue as Democrats meet with allies across the country.
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