Tensions flared at the Texas Capitol on Thursday as lawmakers held their first public hearing on a controversial plan to redraw the state’s congressional map, just four years after the last one was finalized.

The five-hour hearing, organized by the Texas House Redistricting Committee, brought dozens of speakers from across the state, according to CBS Austin. Not a single speaker voiced support for the redistricting plan.

The most dramatic moment occurred at the end of the session when District 18 congressional candidate Isaiah Martin was forcibly removed by Capitol security after refusing to yield the floor when his two-minute limit expired.

“The sergeants are directed to remove the gentleman from the room,” Chairman Cody Vasut declared, as Martin resisted and shouted, “History will not remember you for what you have done!”

NOW: TX-18 candidate Isaiah Martin was testifying against redistricting when tensions boiled over—he went over time, refused to yield, and was tackled out of the hearing room.@cbsaustin @_audreywong @isaiahrmartin pic.twitter.com/0upDWL2hel

— Abigail Velez (@velez_tx) July 25, 2025

According to online jail records, Martin was arrested by the Texas Department of Public Safety and now faces charges of criminal trespassing, resisting arrest, and disrupting an official meeting. His brother shared on social media that Martin could remain in jail for up to three days.

Governor Greg Abbott (R) has argued that the mid-cycle redistricting is necessary to address constitutional issues raised by the U.S. Department of Justice, which flagged four Democratic-held, majority-minority districts as potential legal problems.

But many speakers pushed back against that claim.

“We deserve representation,” said Gabriel Rosales, Texas director for the League of United Latin American Citizens. “It is your responsibility to allow for diversity to be a part of the representation that we have going to Congress.”

Reports indicated that Republican committee members were largely disengaged during the testimony. At times, GOP lawmakers were seen checking their phones or conversing among themselves, prompting frustration from Democratic panel members.

“I guess we’ll see at the end of this process whether the people sitting around these dioses are listening to this or whether it’s a kangaroo court,” said Rep. Jolanda Jones.

No draft maps were presented during the hearing, and no clear explanation was provided about which districts could be affected.

Abbott’s office maintains that the move stems from a July letter from the DOJ, which claimed District 33 and three other seats might be racially gerrymandered. However, several speakers argued that the true motivation is political, citing President Trump’s public calls for Texas Republicans to create five more GOP-leaning districts ahead of the 2026 midterms.

Texas currently holds 38 congressional seats, with Republicans controlling 25.

“Have you seen any proposed maps that the White House or Trump’s operatives have sent?” asked Rep. Chris Turner. “No,” replied the Republican chair.

Civil rights leaders warned that the proposed plan could further dilute the voting power of communities of color, which have accounted for nearly all of the state’s population growth.

“If this proposal goes through,” said Texas NAACP President Gary Bledsoe, “that means 84 percent of congressional seats would be controlled by white voters. If Trump gets five more seats, it becomes 87 percent.”

“If that doesn’t tell Black and Brown people they don’t matter, it absolutely does,” he added.

Others cautioned that the plan could harm local economies and disrupt established communities.

“Please don’t forget that as Texans, we do not — we do not — bend the knee to anyone in Washington,” said Alicia Perez-Hodge, a longtime conservative activist who opposed the process.

Angela Valenzuela, another LULAC member, described the redistricting effort as “reckless.”

“Y’all are being played big time,” she said. “Have some self-respect here.”

Two additional public hearings are scheduled: one in Houston on Saturday at the University of Houston at 11 a.m., and another in Arlington on Monday at UT-Arlington at 5 p.m. Each hearing will allow five hours of public testimony, with two minutes allotted per speaker.