Leftist county is apparently helping illegal aliens fight deportation — and Texas taxpayers are left holding the bag

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit on Monday, alleging that $1.34 million in taxpayer funds had been allocated "to radical leftist organizations that will use the money to oppose the lawful deportations of illegal aliens."

The 17-page complaint claimed that county funds had been used to pay for legal representation for illegal aliens facing deportation proceedings.

'So far, the county has spent over $8M with the ability to spend an additional $1.3M after the latest contract renewal.'

It stated that the Harris County Commissioners Court in mid-October approved allocating the funds to private nonprofits "for the stated purpose of providing 'direct legal representation to immigrants in detention or facing the threat of deportation.'"

“We must stop the left-wing radicals who are robbing Texans to prevent illegals from being deported by the Trump administration,” Paxton said. “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.”

In late October, the commissioners court allegedly approved an additional $100,000 to create an "immigrant resource hotline" that connects foreign nationals with legal service providers.

Paxton's complaint accused Harris County of "misusing public funds to subsidize private deportation defenses that advance no public purpose."

RELATED: AG Paxton sues Texas school district for refusing to display Ten Commandments in classrooms

Photo by BRYAN R. SMITH/AFP via Getty Images

"Harris County receives no return consideration or public benefit from these expenditures, and it exercises little or no control over how the recipient organizations select clients or perform legal work," it added.

The lawsuit names the following defendants: 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 complaint claimed that Garcia previously made remarks that "illustrate that Harris County's decision to fund deportation-defense services is driven by opposition to federal immigration enforcement rather than by any legitimate public purpose."

The lawsuit referred to Garcia's comments during a September 9 Special Commissioners Court, when he stated, "Would the court be able to make some request short of a demand that our county law enforcement not cooperate with ICE?"

Paxton requested temporary and permanent injunctive relief to prevent Harris County from providing taxpayer funds to the nonprofits, noting that the funds could not be recovered once disbursed, even if later determined to be unconstitutional.

RELATED: Thousands of possible illegal aliens found on Texas voter rolls, officials say

County Attorney Christian D. Menefee. Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for National Urban League

"I have opposed this initiative over the last five years," Commissioner Ramsey told Blaze News. "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."

Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee (D) called Paxton's lawsuit "a cheap political stunt" in a statement provided to Blaze News.

"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 said. "At a time when the president has unleashed ICE agents to terrorize immigrant neighborhoods, deport U.S. citizens, and trample the law, it's shameful that Republican state officials are joining in instead of standing up for Texans."

"Let's be clear: This program is perfectly legal, and it ensures that people in our communities have access to due process, something every American should support. Despite the narratives pushed by ... [the] worst elements of the Republican Party, we know that immigrants in our communities obey the law, work hard, and strengthen our state," Menefee continued. "My office will 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."

When reached for comment, Ellis' office referred Blaze News to a statement published on Facebook.

Ellis called the lawsuit "cruel and frivolous."

"Everyone has the right to feel safe in their own community," Ellis wrote. "The attorney general's reckless lawsuit flagrantly attacks civil rights and the very notion of community safety."

"At a time when Donald Trump's ICE raids are fueling anxiety and ripping apart families, we should be investing in trust, not fear," the statement continued. "Instead of mounting yet another wasteful, unconstitutional taxpayer-funded campaign stunt, the attorney general should be supporting actions taken by Harris County to promote true public safety."

Ellis vowed to continue fighting for his constituents' "rights, health, safety, and dignity ... regardless of immigration status."

The Harris County Commissioners Court, Hidalgo, Garcia, Briones, Dickerman, and Costis did not respond to Blaze News' comment request.

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