A Democratic state lawmaker who fled Texas in protest of a GOP redistricting effort is asking a court to let her exit the Capitol, after she was told she needs a police escort to leave the building.

Texas State Representative Nicole Collier has emerged as a key figure in the state’s ongoing electoral map controversy.

Democratic State Rep. Nicole Collier is hunkering down in the Texas Capitol building in protest of Republican leadership assigning law enforcement officers to monitor the state's Democratic caucus, after dozens fled the state for two weeks in attempts to halt a vote on new congressional maps that would advantage the GOP in next year's elections.

Texas Republicans mandated that Democratic lawmakers not be allowed to leave the state house without a permission slip and a police escort.

The Capitol grounds were cleared after 7 p.m. as a demonstration against a GOP redistricting plan was about to begin. Texas lawmakers and staff members were allowed to remain inside the Capitol.

After Democrats returned to the Texas statehouse, Republican leadership assigned law enforcement officers to monitor them to prevent further delays to their plan to redraw congressional voting districts to favor Republicans ahead of the election.

“Way to go Rep Collier!” Rep. Marc Veasey, a Fort Worth Democrat, said in a post on X. “Don’t sign the slip! This is why we need to keep Voting Rights Act! Making someone sign a permission slip is way too antebellum!!! This is ridiculous! And, it’s so natural for them (GOP) to behave this way! It’s systemic in their every day actions!”

Nicole Collier spent two nights inside the Texas Capitol after she was barred from leaving the building over her refusal to agree to 24-hour police surveillance.