Ken Paxton Sues Bexar County Over Alleged Deportation Defense Services

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against Bexar County, the Bexar County Commissioners Court, and multiple county officials, alleging the unlawful use of taxpayer dollars to fund legal defense services for individuals that illegally entered in the United States and are facing federal deportation proceedings.

According to the lawsuit, on December 16, 2025, the Bexar County Commissioners Court approved the allocation of $566,181 in county funds to provide legal services to illegal immigrants through the county's Immigration Legal Services (ILS) fund.

Reports cited by the Attorney General's Office indicate that total funding for the program could exceed $1 million.

Paxton argues that subsidizing deportation-defense legal services provides no legitimate public benefit and falls well outside the legal authority of county governments under Texas law. The lawsuit claims the program primarily serves private interests and violates both state law and the Texas Constitution.

"Leftists in Bexar County have no authority to use taxpayer dollars to fund their radical criminal-loving agenda," said Paxton. "State funds cannot underwrite deportation defense services for individuals unlawfully present in the country. This use of hardworking Texans' dollars is a flagrant violation of state law and the Texas Constitution."

Paxton is seeking a temporary restraining order (TRO), injunctive relief, and a declaratory judgment to immediately halt the expenditure of public funds for the program.

The lawsuit further seeks to prevent Bexar County from entering into or renewing any contracts that fund deportation defense or immigration-related services in violation of state law.