The Texas Supreme Court has ruled that Harris County cannot use taxpayer dollars to fund legal services for illegal immigrants challenging enforcement while the case moves forward.
On Friday, the Texas Supreme Court issued a temporary injunction barring Harris County from using taxpayer funds for the Immigrant Legal Services Fund and the Immigration Resource Hotline. The programs provide legal assistance and referrals to individuals facing immigration and deportation proceedings.
The order stems from a lawsuit filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton after Harris County allocated more than $1.3 million in taxpayer funds to organizations including the Galveston-Houston Immigrant Representation Project, Justice for All Immigrants, Kids in Need of Defense, Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services, and BakerRipley. Paxton has described the organizations as “radical open-border activist groups” that work to fight the deportation of illegal immigrants.
According to the ruling, the Texas Supreme Court concluded there “exists serious doubt about the constitutionality of the Harris County program,” adding that it is not clear that the county has the “constitutional or statutory authority to conduct the program.”
The court’s order prohibits Harris County from disbursing public funds in connection with the Immigrant Legal Services Fund and the Immigration Resource Hotline while litigation continues.
Paxton celebrated the injunction, calling it a victory for taxpayers.
“This is a major win for protecting taxpayer dollars,” said Paxton. “It’s deeply wrong that any Texan should be forced to have their hard-earned dollars taken from them only to be handed out to defend illegal aliens. It’s unacceptable, it’s illegal, and it will not stand in the Lone Star State. I commend the Texas Supreme Court for correctly ordering that this unlawful program is frozen as the case continues.”
The Texas Supreme Court emphasized that its injunction is not a final ruling on the merits of the case. The court of appeals will now consider the dispute, after which either party may seek review from the state’s highest court.
