BREAKING: HARRIS COUNTY, TX—As Harris County residents face historically high property taxes, local officials have continued allocating millions of taxpayer dollars to fund legal defense for illegal immigrants, including those with criminal records.
In response to a recent open records request, the Harris County Housing & Community Development Department disclosed that it spent $2,071,676.21 in 2024 on legal services for illegal immigrants. This funding is part of an ongoing initiative that does not exclude individuals with criminal histories.
The county initially launched the Immigrant Legal Services Fund (ILSF) in 2020 with a $2 million investment and has continued to finance the program each year since. ILSF provides free legal representation for individuals facing deportation from Houston-area detention centers.
“The goal of this program is to create a system in immigration court where everyone who needs an attorney gets one: regardless of the strength of their case or the person’s criminal record,” ILSF states on its website.
Harris County partners with six nonprofit organizations to provide legal defense through the ILSF, according to the “Removal Defense Services” section of the county’s website.
Despite concerns about the program’s cost, county leadership has signaled continued support for funding these services.
“Harris County is committed to continuing support of the Immigration Legal Services Fund, which funds nonprofits that provide legal and wraparound services to immigrants,” Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones said during a Dec. 10 commissioners court meeting.
However, not all officials support the initiative. Commissioner Tom Ramsey, the only Republican on the commissioners court, has consistently opposed taxpayer-funded immigration defense efforts.
“Commissioner Ramsey has voted no on every item that uses taxpayer dollars for immigration defense. In addition to calling for full support of ICE, he’ll be motioning to stop funding immigration legal services, too; however, it would take a Court majority to take effect, so he would need two additional votes to support him,” Ramsey told Texas Scorecard in a recent interview.
Meanwhile, Harris County homeowners are feeling the strain of rising property taxes. A recent analysis found that the average homeowner saw a 25% increase in county property taxes after factoring in new appraisals and a county tax rate hike.
State Rep. Matt Morgan (R-HD 26) expressed frustration over the county’s spending priorities.
“I’ve received numerous calls from constituents in my area who are concerned about the high property tax burden they face. A significant part of this stems from government overspending and misuse of funds—especially when taxpayer dollars are not being allocated to benefit citizens of the United States, as they should be,” Morgan told Katy Christian Magazine.
“Harris County appears to be misusing public funds, and taxpayers deserve to see their money spent on services that directly support the citizens of the United States.”
As property tax rates in Houston soar to levels that are prompting many residents to leave their homes, taxpayers are increasingly concerned about government overspending and the allocation of county resources to illegal immigran
