Pritzker on GOP's FBI arrest threats: 'Texas law does not apply' in Illinois
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) said Sunday it would be illegal for President Trump to order the FBI to arrest Texas state Democratic officials for fleeing their state to halt Republican redistricting efforts.
“Well, first of all, Texas law does not apply in the state of Illinois, and there's no federal law that would allow the FBI to arrest anybody that's here visiting our state. So, it's a lot of grandstanding,” Pritzker said to host Kristen Welker on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
Pritzker 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.
After the legislators fled, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) ordered their arrest because 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. When asked whether the FBI should get involved, President Trump answered, “Well, they may have to.”
The Illinois governor has been highly critical of the Trump administration, saying that the president is trying to “steal five seats from the people.”
On NBC, he reiterated that he will protect the fleeing lawmakers and ranted against Abbott over these mid-decade redistricting efforts.
“We're providing them a safe haven, a place for them to visit and stay, breaking quorum, because they're heroes that are standing up not just for their own constituents and for the people of Texas and their rights but also for the rights of people all across the country,” he said.
“Because what Greg Abbott is doing and what Donald Trump is attempting to do is to cheat mid-decade here. This is — they're attempting to change the map. They know that they're going to lose in 2026 the Congress, and so they're trying to steal seats.”
In an effort to keep a Republican majority after the 2026 midterms, Trump asked the Commerce Department to conduct a new census ahead of the one scheduled for 2030, not counting anyone who is in the country illegally. Normally, the census is conducted every 10 years, and redistricting occurs after that.
Pritzker is accusing Abbott of violating the Voting Rights Act, which ensures fair representation for minorities in election maps.
“He's attempting to thwart federal law and take away five seats that are in the hands of Black, brown, minority congresspeople and the people that they represent,” said Pritzker.
“He's violating the Constitution. And all of us need to stand up and speak out and make sure that it's understood across the country that what they're trying to do in Texas is illegal.”