Texas County Shelled Out $1.3 Million In Taxpayer Funds To Defend Illegal Immigrants, Lawsuit States

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing the state’s largest county for allegedly spending $1.3 million in taxpayer funding to help illegal immigrants fight deportation.

In October, the Harris County Commissioners Court allocated the money to “radical leftist organizations” BakerRipley, the Galveston-Houston Immigrant Representation Project, Justice for All Immigrants, KIND, Inc., and the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services to provide “direct legal representation to immigrants in detention or facing the threat of deportation,” according to Paxton’s office.

“We must stop the left-wing radicals who are robbing Texans to prevent illegals from being deported by the Trump Administration,” said Attorney General Paxton, who is now running for Senate against incumbent John Cornyn and Rep. Wesley Hunt.

“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,” he added.

????BREAKING: I’m suing Harris County for unlawfully directing over $1.3 million in taxpayer money to defend illegal aliens from deportation.

We must stop the left-wing radicals who are robbing Texans to prevent illegals from being deported by the Trump Administration. pic.twitter.com/Yqp0v9Nt0P

— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) November 11, 2025

Paxton argued that the disbursement serves “no public purpose” and is “unconstitutional.”

“The Texas Constitution prohibits governmental entities like Harris County from misusing public funds by giving gifts or conferring private benefits to individuals and groups that do not serve a legitimate public end,” Paxton’s office said.

Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee defended the program, which was renewed last month in a 4-1 vote, with Tom Ramsey, the only Republican on the court, opposing it, according to KHOU.

“This lawsuit is a cheap political stunt,” 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.”

“This program is perfectly legal, and it ensures that people in our communities have access to due process, something every American should support,” Menefee said. “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.”