Texas AG Paxton Seeks Illinois Aid to Arrest 33 Quorum-Busting Democrats

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit in Illinois seeking to compel Illinois law enforcement to enforce civil arrest warrants against 33 Texas House Democrats who fled to Illinois to block a vote on a GOP-favored congressional redistricting plan. These Democrats left Texas to deny quorum, preventing the passage of a map that would shift five congressional seats to Republicans, a move encouraged by President Donald Trump to strengthen his party's majority in the U.S. House ahead of upcoming elections. The warrants issued by Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows are only enforceable within Texas, so Paxton is invoking the "full faith and credit" clause of the U.S. Constitution to have Illinois honor Texas judicial proceedings. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and other Democrats have expressed support for the Democrats' actions, offering logistical assistance but not financial support. This legal approach marks a significant escalation, as previous quorum-busting incidents did not involve attempts to enforce warrants outside Texas. The FBI has reportedly agreed to assist in locating the missing Democrats, who have publicly appeared alongside Democratic leaders in Illinois and New York.