Texas Supreme Court halts Harris County's $1.3M legal aid program for immigrants facing deportation

The Texas Supreme Court has temporarily blocked Harris County from spending $1.3 million on a county program that helps low-income immigrants facing deportation, freezing payments to nonprofit partners while Attorney General Ken Paxton’s challenge moves forward.

The order affects Harris County’s Immigrant Legal Services Fund and Immigration Resource Hotline, a program created in 2020 to help residents navigate civil immigration proceedings. County officials said the ruling is temporary and pledged to keep defending the program.

The decision was reported on June 27, 2026, and comes after Paxton sued Harris County in November 2025. The state’s highest court has now paused the funding while the broader dispute over whether counties can use public money for deportation-defense services continues.

What the program does

The county-funded program pays nonprofit providers to give legal help, referrals and related support to immigrants who cannot afford representation. Civil immigration cases do not guarantee government-appointed counsel, which has been part of the county’s argument for why the program serves a public need.

Houston Chronicle identified five nonprofit partners affected by the freeze, including BakerRipley and RAICES. The court order stops payments to those groups for now.

The program has also included hotline services that direct people to information and assistance. County leaders have said those services help residents navigate an immigration system that can be difficult to understand without legal guidance.

How the fight developed

Harris County created the fund in 2020, years before the current order. Paxton’s office later challenged the spending, arguing the county was using taxpayer money in a way the state says is unlawful.

An earlier court ruling had given Harris County an initial victory, but Paxton appealed and pushed the dispute higher. The Texas Supreme Court’s temporary block does not resolve the case; it simply freezes the program while the litigation continues.

The fight is part of a broader Texas clash over county-funded immigrant legal services. Axios reported earlier this year that Paxton also sued Bexar County over a separate immigrant legal fund, showing that Harris County is not the only local government facing this kind of challenge.

What is at stake

For Harris County, the immediate consequence is that $1.3 million in public funding is on hold. For immigrants in deportation proceedings, the ruling could limit access to county-supported legal help and referral services while the case works through the courts.

The dispute also goes beyond one program. It raises a larger question about how far Texas counties can go in using local funds to support immigration-related legal services and whether those services count as a legitimate public purpose.

County officials have argued that the program is a lawful public service that helps residents access representation and understand their options. Paxton has maintained the opposite position, treating the spending as an improper use of public money.

What happens next

The most important near-term question is whether the Texas Supreme Court issues a fuller written order or leaves the temporary block in place while the lower court case continues. It is also unclear how the freeze will affect existing nonprofit contracts.

One open question is whether Harris County will have to unwind current agreements with providers or simply stop future payments for now. Another is whether the county will seek emergency relief or change how the program operates while the litigation continues.

For the moment, the county’s funding is frozen, the nonprofit payments are halted, and the legal fight over immigrant defense services in Texas remains active.