Three Rio Grande Valley lawmakers are still in Washington D.C. along with other Texas Democrats who fled to the nation’s capitol last week to break quorum in Austin.

On Friday, Texas Reps. Alex Dominguez and Eddie Lucio III said they aren't afraid of the governor or state police.

"I'm not afraid to be arrested,” Rep. Dominguez said. “I'm here fighting for you. I took a solemn oath to defend the constitution of the United States."

Among the eight lawmakers who represent the four counties in the Valley, Alex Dominguez (D-Brownsville), Armando Martinez (D-Weslaco), and Eddie Lucio III (D-Brownsville) have not returned to Texas and are still in Washington D.C.

Rep. Bobby Guerra (D-Mission) returned to Texas for surgery on a rotator cuff tear on his shoulder.

According to some experts, Texas DPS will not take the lawmakers to jail. But the lawmakers will most likely be detained by state troopers and then taken to the House chambers in Austin.

"I need to detain you. Please come peacefully. If you come peacefully - no problem. If you don't come peacefully, then there would be a problem," said Mark Jones, a political science professor at Rice University. 

Part of the reason why they left Texas is the governor's proposal to eliminate drive-thru voting, among other issues.

"Democrats are claiming this is voter suppression, it isn't," Jones continued. "Republicans are complaining there's a real need for this legislation because of widespread electoral fraud, there wasn't."

Channel 5 News reached out to Texas DPS on these possible detentions, but we haven't heard back.

The Texas House Democratic Caucus says lawmakers will stay out of Texas until at least Aug. 7. 

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