The FBI is now assisting Texas authorities with finding Democrats who fled the state to stall a redistricting effort

Senator John Cornyn, a Republican from Texas, announced Thursday that FBI Director Kash Patel has agreed to his request for federal assistance in locating Texas House Democrats who fled the state in protest of GOP-led redistricting efforts.

Cornyn sent the request in a letter on Tuesday, urging federal involvement in identifying and investigating the lawmakers.

“I thank President Trump and Director Patel for swiftly acting on my request and supporting efforts to hold these so-called legislators accountable for fleeing Texas,” Cornyn said in a press release. “We cannot permit these rogue lawmakers to shirk their constitutional duties.”

The FBI declined to comment on the issue.

Speaking on “The Mark Davis” radio show Thursday morning, Cornyn expressed appreciation for the bureau’s quick response. “Just to get to the bottom of it, I asked Kash to look into it and he responded promptly. I'm grateful to him,” he said.

The Texas Democrats had broken quorum, effectively stalling all legislative activity, including proposals addressing recent flood recovery.

“There are a number of critical issues on Governor Abbott’s agenda, including redistricting, and they’re missing all of them,” Cornyn said. “That’s irresponsible. We need to get to the bottom of it. They have to come back at some point. It’s a stunt, and it’s not going to work.”

In response, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries criticized both Cornyn and the FBI. “Shouldn’t the FBI be going after terrorists, drug traffickers, and child predators? The Trump administration is once again weaponizing law enforcement to target political opponents,” Jeffries wrote on X. “These extremists have no regard for public safety. We will not be intimidated.”