Texas House Democrats who fled their state two weeks ago to block a Republican redistricting bill are preparing to leave Illinois and return to Austin, according to statements made during a visit to Chicago’s Saint Sabina Church on Sunday. About three dozen lawmakers, led by Representative Gene Wu, decamped on 3 Aug. to deny the Texas House the quorum needed to approve a map that could hand Republicans five additional U.S. House seats through the end of President Donald Trump’s term. Their absence prevented a vote before the special legislative session ended on 15 Aug., prompting Governor Greg Abbott to immediately summon a second session. Abbott has authorized state law-enforcement officers to detain absent members once they re-enter Texas, raising the possibility of arrests when the Democrats land. Representative John Bucy said the group will decide collectively whether to attend floor proceedings or continue to boycott. While the lawmakers were out of state, pro-democracy and labor organizations staged more than 300 demonstrations in 44 states on 16 Aug., protesting the Trump-backed redistricting push. Tens of thousands of people attended the rallies, and former congressman Beto O’Rourke told a crowd in Austin that Republicans were redrawing maps "because they are afraid" of voters. Republicans defend the proposal by pointing to Democratic-leaning maps in other states, notably Illinois. California’s Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, last week unveiled a counter-proposal that would redraw his state’s districts to give Democrats five additional seats, setting up a partisan standoff between the nation’s two most populous states. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, who hosted the Texans, said the walkout succeeded in focusing national attention on mid-decade gerrymandering. Whether that spotlight translates into changes to the Texas map—or in California—now hinges on how both states proceed when their legislatures reconvene in the coming days.