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.

Texas Democrats who fled the state to postpone a GOP redistricting plan are blasting the recent involvement of the FBI to “hunt us down,” accusing Republicans of amping up rhetoric and putting a “dangerous target” on their backs.

An administration official told NBC News this week that there were no plans to use federal agents to arrest Texas lawmakers who left the state.