Overview
- The Texas Supreme Court issued a two-page order on Friday, June 26, directing Harris County to stop disbursing money to the Immigrant Legal Services Fund and the county Immigration Resource Hotline until the court issues further direction.
- Harris County created the Immigrant Legal Services Fund in 2020 to pay attorneys’ fees and related costs for detained, low-income residents and channels grants to five nonprofits including BakerRipley and RAICES.
- Attorney General Ken Paxton sued the county in November 2025 claiming the grants are an unconstitutional gift of public funds, and although district and the 15th Court of Appeals previously ruled for the county, the state high court’s pause is procedural and does not decide the merits.
- State leaders including Gov. Greg Abbott hailed the pause while Harris County officials, led by County Attorney Abbie Kamin, said they will continue to defend the program and warned the halt limits access to counsel that sharply affects deportation outcomes.
- The case is part of a wider legal pattern of state challenges to local funding for contested services and the pause could influence similar programs in other Texas jurisdictions and the appeals court’s forthcoming ruling.