Overview
- The Texas Supreme Court on June 26 issued a short emergency order that directed Harris County to stop disbursing money to its Immigrant Legal Services Fund and to the county-run Immigration Resource Hotline while the appeals process continues.
- The action follows Attorney General Ken Paxton’s November 2025 lawsuit arguing the grants are unconstitutional gifts of public funds, a claim that district courts and the 15th Court of Appeals previously rejected.
- Harris County launched the Immigrant Legal Services Fund in 2020 and has routed roughly $1.1 million to five nonprofits that provide deportation-defense representation, helping about 373 people through 2025.
- County officials including County Attorney Abbie Kamin say the program serves a public purpose and will be defended, while state leaders including Gov. Greg Abbott and AG Paxton hailed the pause as a check on county spending.
- The pause could immediately reduce access to court representation for detained and low-income noncitizens in the Houston area and may shape broader state-local fights over when counties may fund civil legal services.