WASHINGTON, Aug 7 (Reuters) - The FBI will help Texas track down Democratic state lawmakers who left the state as part of a collective effort to thwart state Republican efforts to redraw congressional districts, Republican U.S. Senator John Cornyn said on Thursday.

The chair of the Texas House Democratic caucus remained defiant Thursday in the face of one US senator’s bid to enlist the FBI’s help in returning him and his state House colleagues to the state.

It's unclear what role federal agents can play in the matter, and there were no reports of FBI activity in the area housing Texas Democrats as of Thursday morning.