Senator John Cornyn, Republican of Texas, said on Thursday that the F.B.I. had agreed to his request to help track down dozens of Democratic Texas state lawmakers who left the state to prevent a vote on a redistricting plan.
The activation of federal agents could create a standoff between the Trump administration and state leaders in Illinois, where many of the absent Democrats have taken refuge.
It was not clear on Thursday morning whether federal agents had actually taken action in the case, or what role they might eventually play.
Gov. JB Pritzker has scoffed at the idea that federal agents could be deployed against the Texas lawmakers present in his state. “They’re grandstanding,” Mr. Pritzker said on Wednesday, a day after Mr. Cornyn first proposed federal involvement. “There literally is no federal law applicable to this situation, none they can say that they’re sending F.B.I.”
He suggested that federal law enforcement could be used in an attempt to intimidate lawmakers, even if they did not have cause to arrest any of them. “The F.B.I. agents might show up just to, I don’t know, again, to put a show on,” he said.
Several Democrats said that as of Thursday morning no federal agents had been seen or reported at their hotel, in St. Charles, Ill., outside of Chicago.
Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.
Thank you for your patience while we verify access.
Already a subscriber? Log in.
Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
The post Cornyn Says F.B.I. Will Help Find Texas Lawmakers Who Fled State appeared first on New York Times.
