In a recent development, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has launched a lawsuit, alleging that a sum of $1.
34 million, sourced from taxpayers, has been funneled towards organizations with a radical leftist agenda.
These organizations, according to Paxton, are using these funds to obstruct the legal deportation of illegal immigrants.
As reported by The Blaze, the 17-page lawsuit alleges that county funds have been misused to provide legal representation for illegal immigrants facing deportation proceedings. The lawsuit states, "So far, the county has spent over $8M with the ability to spend an additional $1.3M after the latest contract renewal."
The complaint further reveals that the Harris County Commissioners Court approved the allocation of these funds to private nonprofits in mid-October. The stated purpose of this allocation was to provide "direct legal representation to immigrants in detention or facing the threat of deportation."
Attorney General Paxton expressed his concerns, stating, We must stop the left-wing radicals who are robbing Texans to prevent illegals from being deported by the Trump administration. Beyond just being blatantly unconstitutional, this is evil and wicked. Millions upon millions of illegals invaded America during the last administration, and they must be sent back to where they came from.
The lawsuit also alleges that the commissioners court approved an additional $100,000 in late October to establish an "immigrant resource hotline" that connects foreign nationals with legal service providers. Paxton's complaint accuses Harris County of "misusing public funds to subsidize private deportation defenses that advance no public purpose."
The lawsuit names multiple defendants, including Harris County, the commissioners court, County Judge Lina Hidalgo (D), County Administrator Jesse Dickerman, Harris County Housing & Community Development Executive Director Thao Costis, and Commissioners Rodney Ellis (D), Adrian Garcia (D), Tom Ramsey (R), and Lesley Briones (D).
The lawsuit refers to comments made by Garcia during a September 9 Special Commissioners Court, where he questioned, "Would the court be able to make some request short of a demand that our county law enforcement not cooperate with ICE?" This, according to the lawsuit, demonstrates that Harris County's decision to fund deportation-defense services is driven by opposition to federal immigration enforcement rather than any legitimate public purpose.
Paxton's lawsuit seeks temporary and permanent injunctive relief to prevent Harris County from providing taxpayer funds to the nonprofits. He notes that the funds could not be recovered once disbursed, even if later determined to be unconstitutional.
Commissioner Ramsey expressed his opposition to the initiative, stating, "So far, the county has spent over $8M with the ability to spend an additional $1.3M after the latest contract renewal. We should be spending these funds on infrastructure, the county jail, or other county statutory responsibilities."
However, Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee (D) dismissed Paxton's lawsuit as "a cheap political stunt." He defended the program, stating, "Harris County has funded this program for years because it's the right thing to do. We're helping people who live in our communities and who contribute every day to our local economy. That's what good government looks like."
Menefee further argued that the program ensures that people in their communities have access to due process, a right that every American should support. He vowed that his office would "fight back and defend Harris County's right to lead with fairness, compassion, and common sense, no matter how many times Republican state officials try to erase that."
Commissioner Ellis also criticized the lawsuit, calling it "cruel and frivolous." He argued that "everyone has the right to feel safe in their own community," and pledged to continue fighting for his constituents' "rights, health, safety, and dignity ... regardless of immigration status."
Login