Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) has defended President Trump’s order to arrest Texas state Democratic officials for fleeing their state to halt Republican redistricting efforts. Pritzker stated that Texas law does not apply in Illinois, and there is no federal law that would allow the FBI to arrest anyone visiting the state. He vowed to protect Texas Democrats who fled their state to Illinois to prevent a quorum in the Texas Legislature necessary to vote on the new gerrymandered voting map.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered the arrest of the lawmakers after they “abandoned their duty to Texans.” Since the lawmakers are out of state, Texas law enforcement cannot arrest them. Texas Sen. John Cornyn (R) sent a letter to FBI Director Kash Patel asking for the FBI’s assistance. President Trump responded that they may have to. Pritzker has been highly critical of the Trump administration, saying that the president is trying to “steal five seats from the people.” On NBC, Pritzker reiterated his commitment to protecting the fleeing lawmakers and ranted against Abbott over mid-decade redistricting efforts.
Pritzker accuses Abbott of violating the Voting Rights Act, which ensures fair representation for minorities in election maps. He believes that Trump is attempting to thwart federal law and take away five seats in the hands of Black, brown, minority congresspeople and the people they represent.
