Overview
- Harris County commissioners voted 4–1 in late October to allocate $1,344,751 to BakerRipley, the Galveston-Houston Immigrant Representation Project, Justice for All Immigrants, Kids in Need of Defense, and RAICES.
- Paxton’s lawsuit contends the payments serve no public purpose and violate the state constitution’s gift clause, and it seeks temporary and permanent injunctions to stop disbursement.
- County Attorney Christian Menefee and supporters of the program say the funding is lawful and protects due process, pledging to fight the case in court.
- Created in 2020, the Immigrant Legal Services Fund provides deportation-defense representation for eligible Harris County residents in ICE custody who fall below 80% of area median income.
- The new funding has not been distributed and is slated to begin Jan. 1, with no court ruling yet on Paxton’s request to halt the grants.