Can the FBI arrest the Texas Democrats?

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No. On August 4, 2025, the Texas House of Representatives voted to issue civil arrest warrants for the dozens of Democratic legislators who had fled the state in an effort to deny quorum to a special legislative session called by Gov. Greg Abbott. Denying quorum is a parliamentary tactic that has long had a role in Texas politics, and it has been used by both parties in other states to disrupt legislative proceedings when the minority party has no other recourse. The civil arrest warrants issued by the Texas House have no power outside of Texas. Republican Sen. John Cornyn, who is facing a robust primary challenge from Texas’s MAGA-aligned attorney general Ken Paxton, requested that the FBI assist in locating the Democratic legislators. As no federal laws have been violated, it is unclear what, if any, role the FBI would have in such a matter.