Texas House Democrats left the state Sunday in a desperate bid to block an aggressively partisan redrawing of the state’s congressional map orchestrated by Republicans with the support of President Donald Trump.

Texas

Texas Democrats have left the state in an effort to prevent the Republican-controlled legislature from advancing a new congressional redistricting plan. The proposed map, supported by Governor Abbott and former President Trump, could potentially eliminate five Democratic seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. By traveling to states like Illinois, New York, and Massachusetts, the Democrats have denied the Texas House the quorum needed to pass the measure.

Governor Abbott has threatened to vacate the offices of absent lawmakers, citing a non-binding legal opinion from the state attorney general. While some Republicans have called for the arrest of the Democrats, the likelihood of enforcing such measures is low given their presence in Democrat-friendly states. The dispute comes amid a special legislative session, with Democrats maintaining they are acting on moral grounds against what they describe as a racially gerrymandered map.

Texas Democrats blasts GOP-drawn congressional map

A bitter showdown in the Lone Star State, the Republican governor of Texas giving Democrats who have left the state a warning, show up at the Capitol by this afternoon or face removal from office. So aboard that plane you're looking at right there, dozens of Democrats from the state legislature flying out of Texas to block the Republican-led effort backed by President Trump to redraw the Texas congressional map. This is a fight that could have nationwide consequences when it comes to who controls the U.S. House of Representatives. The plan could potentially eliminate five Democratic seats in the U.S. House ahead of the 2026 midterms. Many of those Texas Democrats have traveled to Illinois, denying the state House the minimum number of members needed to advance the redistricting plan. Others have gone to New York, some to Massachusetts. This is what Texas Democrats said after arriving in Chicago late last night. The tool they're using is a racist, gerrymandered map. A map that seeks to use racial lines to divide hardworking communities who have spent decades building up their power and strengthening their voices. And Governor Abbott is doing this in submission to Donald Trump. Governor Abbott says if those Democrats are not back by 3 p.m. Central time today, he will vacate their offices. But the authority he's claiming to do that comes from a non-binding legal opinion issued by the state attorney general, Ken Paxson. After the last time Democrats did something like this in 2021, Paxson, who was running for Senate, has called for the Democrats who have left to be arrested. A lot of politics at play here at many levels. Let's get right to CNN's Ed Levandera. In Austin this morning, fewer people working behind you this morning, because a lot of them have gone to Illinois and New York and in Boston. Yeah, and a lot of people with bags of popcorn waiting to see how this day is going to unfold. And, John, the thing you can absolutely expect is for the nastiness of the politics of this situation to continue ratcheting up. Congressman Joaquin Castro of Texas reacted to Governor Abbott's threat to have these Democratic lawmakers removed from office and described him as, quote, drunk with power. Democrats, a large group of them, as you mentioned, John, are in Chicago, another smaller group in Albany, New York, where they're expected to hold events with the governor and other officials there in that state as well. And Democrats here know they do not have the votes to stop this redistricting bill. This is coming in the middle of a special legislative session, which lasts about 30 days. There are about two weeks left in this. But the governor of Texas can continue calling special session after special session until this bill is passed. But what the governor is saying is that he is threatening these lawmakers to be removed from office if they do not show up here when the House reconvenes later today at 3 o'clock Central time. A number of other Republicans are describing the Democrats as cowards for fleeing the state, and several of them have suggested they should be arrested. The speaker of the House here in Texas can issue civil arrest warrants to have them brought back. But with Democratic lawmakers in Democrat-friendly states, any kind of ability to impose that seems very unlikely. So all of this continues, and Democrats believe they are standing up for what is morally correct.

A shipwreck off Yemen has killed at least 68 people, the UN's migration agency said, with dozens still missing after the boat carrying mostly Ethiopians sank.

Sana'a

Migrant boat sinks off Yemen, killing at least 68

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Jerusalem

Middle East Conflict

Hamas says hunger crisis putting hostages at risk

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Washington

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Santa Barbara

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Kamchatka Peninsula

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As Suwayda

Humanitarian needs escalate in Sweida as truce frays

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Brussels

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Kyiv

Ukraine Invasion

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Tel Aviv-Yafo

Israeli hostage families protest in Tel Aviv

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Rome

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Anaconda

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Los Angeles

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Sderot

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Moscow

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Bryan

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New York

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Ottawa

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Breakdown