The Texas Supreme Court has temporarily halted a taxpayer-funded program created by the Harris County Commissioners Court that provides legal assistance to illegal immigrants facing deportation proceedings.
On Friday, the Texas Supreme Court granted a motion for temporary relief sought by the State of Texas and ordered Harris County “to refrain from disbursing funds in connection with the Immigrant Legal Services Fund and the Immigration Resource Hotline until further order of this Court.”
The Texas Voice has previously reported on Harris County’s funding of legal services for illegal immigrants, including $1.3 million in funding for the program that Harris County Commissioners Court approved in October, 2025.
In its motion for temporary relief, the State of Texas noted that Harris County does not check criminal histories of those who benefit from the Immigrant Legal Services Fund and that taxpayer dollars are potentially being used to assist violent criminals in federal deportation proceedings.
The Court’s order, which is not a determination of the merits of the State’s challenge to Harris County’s program, temporarily halts funding of the program until the case is decided on the merits.
Texas Supreme Court Justices Deborah Lehrmann, Jane Bland, and Rebecca Huddle dissented from granting the State’s motion for temporary relief.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton praised the Court’s ruling, while Democrat officials in Harris County vowed to fight on as the case worked its way through the legal system.
“This is a major win for protecting taxpayer dollars,” said Texas Attorney General Ken 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.”
Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis, a Democrat who has been a vocal proponent of the Immigrant Legal Services Fund, defended the program as a check against the Trump administration’s efforts to enforce immigration laws.
“Today’s temporary order is alarming, but it does not change our obligation to stand with Harris County families who deserve safety, dignity and due process. The State of Texas is driving this lawsuit, and Donald Trump’s deadly ICE raids are harming the community, spreading fear, separating families and undermining trust in our communities. Harris County’s Immigrant Legal Services Fund and the Immigration Resource Hotline empower residents to understand their rights, keep families together and strengthen community safety rooted in justice, not fear. We provide this critical service because Harris County should protect every resident, regardless of immigration status,” said Ellis.
