Texas Rep. Nicole Collier alleges "illegal confinement" by GOP

Democrat lawmaker locked successful Texas House

Democrat lawmaker locked successful Texas House enclosure aft refusing constabulary escort 03:11

Rep. Nicole Collier, the Democratic authorities lawmaker who spent Monday nighttime wrong the Texas Capitol, is asking a tribunal to fto her exit the building, alleging she's facing "illegal restraint by the government" aft she was told she needs a constabulary escort to leave.

The Fort Worth lawmaker and dozens of different Democrats near Texas earlier this period to hold a ballot connected a GOP-led program to redraw the state's legislature map. The Democrats returned to Texas successful caller days and they were fixed authorities constabulary escorts to guarantee they volition amusement up erstwhile the authorities House convenes Wednesday, but Collier refused to motion a "permission slip" to beryllium nether escort by the Texas Department of Public Safety. Collier says she slept connected the House floor overnight.

Collier told CBS News' "The Takeout" connected Tuesday that respective different Democrats "tore up their support slips" and volition articulation her connected the House level Tuesday night.

"I garbage to comply with this unreasonable, un-American and unnecessary request," Collier said.

Meanwhile, successful a habeas corpus exertion filed successful Austin authorities tribunal connected Monday, lawyers for Collier alleged "illegal confinement."

This was my night, bonnet and all, successful the #txlege. #thisisme pic.twitter.com/46YgqbMUk8

— Nicole Collier (@NicoleCollier95) August 19, 2025

The petition says authorities Rep. Charlie Geren, a Republican who chairs the House Administration Committee, told Collier: "If you permission the Capitol you are taxable to arrest." Collier's petition does not notation the authorities constabulary escorts.

Collier's attorneys reason that's illegal. They acknowledged that Texas instrumentality allows lawmakers who are absent from the Capitol to look civilian arrest, but they accidental authorities officials person nary ineligible close to detain legislators who are already contiguous astatine the Capitol to guarantee they don't leave.

"The plain connection is clear: a subordinate whitethorn beryllium compelled by the Sergeant-at-Arms to be a legislative league if helium oregon she is physically absent, but nary specified powerfulness is conferred connected the Legislature to apprehension oregon different compel a subordinate who is presently contiguous (and not absent) to stay," the Democrat's tribunal petition read.

Collier, a seven-term lawmaker and erstwhile seat of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus, is asking a justice to bid the House Sergeant-at-Arms to "immediately release" her, and to barroom the Sergeant-at-Arms from "restraining Representative Collier successful immoderate respect."

CBS News has reached retired to Geren, House Speaker Dustin Burrows and the Texas Department of Public Safety for comment.

The Texas House is acceptable to reconvene connected Wednesday astatine 10 a.m., erstwhile lawmakers are expected to determination guardant connected a mid-decade redistricting effort that was pushed by President Trump. The caller legislature maps could springiness Republicans a boost successful adjacent year's midterm elections, arsenic the enactment aims to clasp onto its constrictive borderline successful the U.S. House.

The program was temporarily derailed earlier this period erstwhile dozens of Democratic members of the Texas House near the authorities successful protest, denying House Republicans a quorum for the last 2 weeks of a peculiar legislative league called by Gov. Greg Abbott to redraw the legislature maps. Republican officials threatened to question Democrats' apprehension oregon propulsion from their removal from the legislature unless they returned to the authorities Capitol.

Abbott called different peculiar league starting Wednesday. Republicans are wide expected to walk the redistricting plan, fixed their decisive majorities successful the authorities House and Senate.

The program has sparked nationwide recrimination from Democrats, with bluish states similar California and New York floating their ain redistricting efforts. One program successful California could make 5 much Democratic-leaning seats, offsetting Texas's efforts.