Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has launched a lawsuit against Harris County, accusing the county of engaging in ‘evil and wicked’ activities by funding legal aid for migrants facing deportation. The county, which includes Houston, established the Immigrant Legal Services Fund program in 2020. This initiative channels funds to five organizations that assist migrants in legal defense. Recently, the county allocated an additional $1.3 million to bolster the program, which has been a focal point for Paxton’s recent legal actions.
Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee, a Democrat, has publicly criticized Paxton’s lawsuit, asserting that it is a political stunt and that the program is perfectly legal. He highlighted the program’s role in ensuring fair treatment during deportation proceedings. Paxton contends that the program’s funding is unconstitutional, arguing that it serves no public purpose and instead constitutes unconstitutional grants of public funds to private entities to subsidize individual deportation defenses. The county officials maintain that the program is essential for ensuring due process and reducing the deportation rate, which can be as high as 90% without legal representation.
Before the county started the Immigrant Legal Services Fund in 2020, it was the largest county in the country without a program to help migrants get access to legal counsel, according to The Texas Tribune. The county passed the program on a party-line vote. County Judge Lina Hidalgo, who proposed the program, emphasized that having access to legal representation significantly improves case outcomes, with deportation rates dropping from 90% to about 5% when legal counsel is present.
This is one of several recent lawsuits filed by Paxton targeting organizations that support migrants. In a statement, Paxton claimed that the program is ‘evil and wicked,’ as well as unconstitutional. He further stated, ‘We must stop the left-wing radicals who are robbing Texans to prevent illegals from being deported by the Trump Administration.’ Beyond the legal claims, Paxton criticized the program for enabling the so-called ‘mass deportation agenda’ during the previous administration.
County Commissioner Rodney Ellis supported the funding for the program, stating that it was necessary due to an uptick in raids targeting migrants. He explained that legal representation not only improves case outcomes but also helps keep families together in a diverse county. The Harris County Jail leads the nation in ICE detainers, according to The Texas Tribune, as federal and state officials continue to carry out President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda.
While Harris County maintains that the program is lawful and necessary, Paxton’s lawsuit represents a broader conservative push against immigration-related services, arguing that they are an unconstitutional use of public funds. The dispute underscores the deepening divisions over immigration policy and the role of local governments in providing legal support to immigrants facing deportation.