State Rep. Vince Perez, one of the Democrats who left Texas amid the redistricting fight, speaks out

AUSTIN, Texas (KVIA) -- State Representative Vince Perez, one of the Texas Democrats who left the state amid the congressional redistricting fight, is now speaking out. Perez represents a section of El Paso.

ABC-7 interviewed Perez about his involvement in the "quorum break" initiated by state Democratic lawmakers. He also released a statement this afternoon on the situation.

Today, Governor Abbott called for the Democrats' arrest and an investigation into possible bribery violations. Abbott's office alleges that Democrats possibly violated the Texas Penal Code by possibly accepting monetary assistance while leaving the state.

Perez says that he is in Illinois alongside his fellow Democrats. He says he is doing all within his power to fight for Texans, and especially El Pasoans.

Read through Perez' statement in full below:

"Today, there’s a warrant out for my arrest. Not because I’ve committed a crime but because I made a choice, in good conscience, to stand against the most unjust, racially engineered map Texas has seen since the segregationist era and the struggle for civil rights.

I’m in Illinois alongside my Democratic colleagues, to do all that is within my power to fight for my hometown and the people who sent me to Austin—families from El Paso who deserve fair representation. My constituents are overwhelmingly Hispanic, and under the proposed redistricting plan, their voices would be systematically excluded by design. Donald Trump and Texas Republicans have designed a map that would give White voters three times more political power than Hispanic voters. Under this proposal, a Hispanic vote would be worth only 1/3 of that of White voters in Texas. That’s not just unfair, it’s fundamentally undemocratic.

This isn’t about me. It’s about my neighbors, my family, and millions of Texans whose representation is being deliberately minimized solely based on their race. For the first time since the Civil Rights Movement, we’re facing a reality where political power is blatantly distributed along racial lines. White Texans, who make up 40% of our state, would control 70% of all congressional seats, leaving the majority Black, Hispanic, and Asian Texans fighting over what’s left. Texas Republicans have also manipulated the districts so they are held accountable only to White voters, as they will represent 90% of all White Texans.

As I reflect on this warrant and the consequences I now face, I know my situation is small compared to the price previous generations in the Deep South paid to ensure future generations like ours inherited a more equal and just world. Their sacrifices remind us that the struggle for equal representation and dignity remains as urgent for us today as ever before. It’s a fight that demands courage, regardless of the consequences.

So let me be clear: I will not be intimidated or silenced by this arrest warrant. The level under representation and segregation of Texas Hispanics and Blacks is wrong and unjust.  I’m asking the people of El Paso, and all Texans who believe in basic fairness to speak up, educate themselves on this proposed map, and demand better.

We can’t afford to go back to an era when political power was reserved only for the few. Texas belongs to all of us, and my colleagues and I will keep fighting, no matter what it takes, until Texas Republicans reverse this injustice."