Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit Wednesday against Bexar County for allegedly misusing taxpayer funds to provide legal defense for illegal aliens facing deportation proceedings.
The lawsuit challenges the county’s allocation of $566,181 for legal services for illegal aliens.
Paxton’s suit names Bexar County, the County Commissioners Court, and multiple county officials as defendants.
On December 16, 2025, the Bexar County Commissioners Court sanctioned the distribution of $566,181 in county funds to offer legal assistance to illegal aliens through Bexar County’s Immigration Legal Services (“ILS”) fund. Reports indicate that Bexar County’s total allocation for this program for illegal aliens could exceed $1 million.
The lawsuit argues that subsidizing deportation defense services provides no public benefit and exceeds county authority. Paxton contends such spending 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,” Paxton said in a statement. “State funds cannot underwrite deportation-defense services for individuals unlawfully present in the country.”
The attorney general called the funding “a flagrant violation of state law and the Texas Constitution.” He emphasized that the money comes from “hardworking Texans.”
Paxton seeks a temporary restraining order, injunctive relief, and a declaratory judgment. These legal remedies would halt expenditures and prevent Bexar County from entering into new contracts for immigration-related legal services.
