• Illinois Governor JB Pritzker dismisses talk of FBI involvement.
• The standoff spotlights partisan redistricting battles ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
• Texas Democrats broke quorum to block the GOP’s congressional map overhaul.

SPRINGFIELD, IL (TDR) — Illinois Governor JB Pritzker brushed off suggestions that the FBI could cross state lines to locate and arrest Texas Democrats who fled to safe-haven states, calling the talk “grandstanding.”

Trump and Cornyn Call for Federal Crackdown

Republican U.S. Senator John Cornyn and Donald Trump signaled support for using federal agents after more than 50 Texas Democrats left the state to deny Republicans the quorum needed to pass a mid-decade redistricting plan .

“They can say that they’re sending FBI… but if you haven’t broken federal law, you’re basically unwelcome,” Pritzker told the News Not Noise podcast.

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Legal and Constitutional Barriers

Pritzker stressed that “there literally is no federal law applicable to this situation,” and noted that local law enforcement and state troopers protect everyone in Illinois . He dismissed the idea of state rangers from Texas making arrests on Illinois soil.

Battle Over Emergency Relief

Texas Governor Greg Abbott sought emergency relief from the state Supreme Court to strip absent Democrats of their seats and force them back . Democratic Caucus Chair Gene Wu called Abbott’s move “purely insanity,” accusing Republicans of racial gerrymandering .

National Stakes and Safe Havens

The drama underscores nationwide tensions: partisan redistricting battles are raging in at least nine states, from California to Wisconsin . New York Governor Kathy Hochul vowed to redraw her state’s map in response if necessary.

Voting Rights Act Concerns

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Pritzker condemned Texas’s plan as a violation of the Voting Rights Act, accusing Republicans of trying to “steal five seats from the people of Texas” . He praised the Texas Democrats as “heroes” for seeking refuge in Illinois.

Widening Redistricting Conflict

States including Ohio, Florida, Indiana, Missouri, and Maryland are weighing their own map redraws to counter GOP efforts . Political analysts warn this could trigger a constitutional showdown over the limits of state power in federal elections.

Pritzker’s Firm Stand

Pritzker reiterated Illinois’s commitment to protect the Texas legislators:

“We’ll take care of them here. I’m very proud of them,” he told Stephen Colbert on The Late Show .

Will Quorum-Breaking Prevail?

As legal battles unfold, the question remains whether Texas Democrats’ tactic of denying a quorum will force Republicans to back down—or prompt extreme measures like FBI intervention that clash with state sovereignty.

Can this unprecedented showdown reshape redistricting norms, or will it deepen partisan divides?

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