Texas Republicans Lock Dem State Rep. In Capitol After She Refuses To Leave With Mandatory Police Escort

Democratic Texas state Representative Nicole Collier is making national headlines for refusing to cede to Republicans' demands that she sign a permission slip to be under escort by the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Collier was among dozens of Democrats who bolted from Texas earlier this month to block a Trump-backed redistricting plan designed to tilt the 2026 midterms toward Republicans. Some lawmakers returned Monday for a second special session, but GOP House Speaker Dustin Burrows ordered state troopers to escort them out of the chamber to stop another walkout.

Collier says she won’t play along, issuing the following statement to news outlets:

“I refuse to sign away my dignity as a duly elected representative just so Republicans can control my movements and monitor me with police escorts."

"My constituents sent me to Austin to protect their voices and rights. When I press that button to vote, I know these maps will harm my constituents—I won’t just go along quietly with their intimidation or their discrimination.”

As a result, Republicans locked her in the Texas Capitol building—a move that has only drawn more attention to Collier, who has remained there by refusing to comply.

In a statement to The Fort Worth Report, she said:

“I don’t know how long I will be here. Instead of DPS officers looking for pedophiles, they have been assigned to follow Democratic state representatives around only to ensure their return to the Capitol on Wednesday (when the House reconvenes). I sure hope the public feels safe without those officers on beat.”

She also took to X to share a photo of herself in the room in which she's being held to highlight her sleeping arrangements along with the following caption:

"This was my night, bonnet and all, in the #txlege. #thisisme"

You can see her post and the photo below.

@NicoleCollier95/X

The viral photo prompted many to condemn the GOP's actions while praising her act of protest.

Collier told CBS News that she has "a right to resist, I have a right to oppose, just like my voters do, just like Texans have a right to challenge government, and that's what I'm doing." She added that "Democrats will be working together to get that legal record set so that we can take this fight to the court."

Since Monday, Collier has been living out of the locked chamber—eating, sleeping, and working under 24/7 livestream. On Tuesday, more Democrats joined her in solidarity at the statehouse.

With the Texas House set to reconvene Wednesday, Collier says she won’t move until Republicans drop their “surveillance protocol.”