Texas seeks enforcement of arrest warrants against Democratic legislators by Illinois court
The Texas House of Representatives is in the midst of a high-stakes battle, as several Democratic lawmakers have fled the state to prevent their Republican colleagues from voting on redistricting during a special session.
On Aug. 5, 2025, the Texas House Chamber in Austin held a session gavelled in by Speaker of the House Dustin Burrows. During this session, the state House voted in favor of a motion for the sergeant-at-arms to send for lawmakers with unexcused absences, including the use of warrant of arrest if necessary.
Jay Janner, an Austin American-Statesman photographer, captured an image of the session in the House Chamber at the Capitol in Austin.
The state House Democrats are currently in Illinois, breaking quorum to prevent the vote. Speaker Burrows stated that all options are on the table to ensure the return of the fleeing Democrats. He mentioned that they have been given ample time and opportunity to return, but have refused to fulfill their constitutional obligations.
To enforce attendance, the Texas House Republicans have authorized the House sergeant-at-arms and appointed officers to track down and civilly arrest absent Democrats who left the state without excused attendance. Fines of $500 per day are imposed on them. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has ordered the Texas Department of Public Safety to find and arrest these lawmakers and has requested investigations into possible legal violations such as bribery related to their fundraising efforts for the walkout.
However, the warrants issued for their arrest have no legal power outside Texas, meaning Texas law enforcement cannot compel Illinois authorities to arrest or return the Democrats. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is running for U.S. Senate, is hoping that the process to remove state Democrats will encourage them to return to Texas. He referred to the fleeing Democrats as "rogue legislators."
Paxton has also filed lawsuits aiming to remove some absent Democrats from office, focusing on expelling members like House Democratic leader Gene Wu as a test case. Legal experts note it is difficult to equate leaving the state to deny quorum with abandonment of office under Texas law and precedent. The Texas Supreme Court is reviewing Abbott’s petition to reconsider allowing expulsion of members for absence during a quorum break.
The Texas House of Representatives is coordinating with Illinois law enforcement, the Sergeant of Arms of the Texas House of Representatives, and the Texas Department of Public Safety to apprehend the fleeing Democrats. Speaker Burrows has issued civil warrants for the members who had deliberately and without excuse broken quorum. The Texas House of Representatives has also filed a petition in the Eighth Judicial Circuit Court, Adams County, Illinois, seeking the attendance of various state House members.
Despite these measures, the Democratic lawmakers remain in Illinois as a strategic protest amid the redistricting fight. Ken Paxton expressed his intention to hold the fleeing Democrats accountable using all legal remedies. The standoff between the two parties continues, with the future of Texas's political landscape hanging in the balance.
The Texas House of Representatives' standoff, rooted in the redistricting dispute, has escalated into a legal battle, involving warrants and policy-and-legislation regarding absence during quorum breaks. This general news story, unfolding in August 2025, sees Jay Janner capturing images of the tense sessions in Austin, while the fleeing Democrats, led by House Democratic leader Gene Wu, remain in Illinois as a strategic protest.
