A Texas Democrat who recently fled the state in protest of Republicans’ mid-decade redistricting efforts is speaking out against law enforcement staking out the absent lawmakers’ homes.
Democratic Texas state Rep. Josey Garcia said plainclothes officers in unmarked vehicles visited her house in the San Antonio area over the weekend. While she did not confirm which of her family members were home when the officers visited, Garcia claimed her family was nonetheless affected.
“What’s happening with me and my family right now is a human rights violation,” Garcia told the Washington Examiner on Tuesday. “It’s domestic terrorism and terrorism against us personally, and I intend to pursue all tools in my tool belt to make sure that this doesn’t happen to any other innocent civilians.”
The lawmaker intends to report the matter to the authorities. Garcia said she would file the report with “everyone that I need to,” declining to disclose whether she would go to Texas police or the FBI with her complaint. She is currently consulting with her lawyers to determine the best course of action.
When asked how she knew the individuals were, in fact, officers or agents if they weren’t wearing uniforms, Garcia said she recognized the vehicles even though they were unmarked.
On Sunday, Garcia posted on Facebook that four unidentified men arrived at her home in four unmarked vehicles. The visit from purported law enforcement terrified her special needs children, she said. The Texas Democrat has two adult sons with autism, according to the San Antonio Current.
Although it’s unclear which state or federal agencies the plainclothes officers represented, Garcia maintains she is being “hunted” by the Texas government.
“It was very concerning on how I can be hunted in my own backyard in Texas, and I felt safer as an adviser with the Iraqi military fighting al Qaeda,” she said, referring to her 20 years of service in the Air Force. “That part was a little difficult for me to comprehend, and we had to obtain legal guidance on that.”
Garcia noted she and her husband are both law-abiding citizens who have committed no crimes and are also decorated war veterans “who have served honorably” in the military, which makes the Texas-led manhunt for her all the more surprising.
Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX), Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, and Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows are pursuing every possible legal means to compel the return of the runaway Democrats who broke the state legislature’s quorum last week. The Republican officials have threatened to arrest the missing lawmakers in addition to vacating their seats.
The Texas Department of Public Safety is aiding the state’s search by setting up a tip line for the public to share information on the whereabouts of the absent state representatives. The tip line comes after the law enforcement agency has already deployed special agents across Texas to knock on the doors of lawmakers’ homes.
It’s possible the plainclothes agents who showed up at Garcia’s home were working for DPS. The Washington Examiner contacted Abbott’s press office for comment in response to Garcia’s claims.
“Texas House Democrats abandoned their duty to Texans, which is why Governor Abbott directed the Texas Department of Public Safety to arrest delinquent House Democrats,” Abbott press secretary Andrew Mahaleris said. “DPS troopers are working around the clock to bring these Democrats back to the Texas Capitol. It is inexcusable for Democrats to flee to avoid the work of the people and hide from passing critical legislation like flood relief. They must return immediately and get back to work.”
Garcia alleged that the harassment and intimidation perpetrated by DPS are primarily targeting female lawmakers instead of using its resources to locate and arrest criminals, such as pedophiles, in the state.
“It does appear that women are the ones being attacked, so let’s think about that,” she said. “It’s the majority of our women colleagues that have agents harassing them in their homes. It’s not the men. Why is that? That’s my question. Why is it us, women with children at home, being the target of an attack?”
The Washington Examiner asked Garcia if she could share the video footage of the agents outside her home. She did not oblige the request for security reasons.
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Garcia is currently in Chicago, where dozens of other Texas Democrats are staying. She was one of nearly three dozen legislators named in a lawsuit filed by Paxton in Illinois late last week.
“I’m proud to be in Chi-town because this is where champions were built,” she said. “What we’re experiencing is terrorism, domestic terrorism, and I may know a little thing or two about fighting that.”