Appellate Court Blocks Paxton’s Bid to Freeze Harris County Immigrant Legal Fund

A Texas appellate court blocked Attorney General Ken Paxton’s effort to temporarily shut down Harris County’s Immigrant Legal Services Fund, handing a short-term victory to Harris County and the nonprofits that provide counsel to residents facing deportation on Feb. 25, 2026. The ruling allowed the fund to continue operating while the legal fight proceeds.

Paxton had sought emergency relief aimed at freezing the county fund that supports legal representation for immigrant residents. The Immigrant Legal Services Fund is the specific target named in the Attorney General’s action, and the appellate decision directly halted that immediate request to suspend the program.

Local legal aid organizations that receive money from the Harris County fund provide counsel to residents facing deportation, and the appellate ruling preserves that stream of support for now. County officials and nonprofit providers had argued that stopping the fund would interrupt representation for people in removal proceedings in Harris County courts and immigration hearings.

The court’s decision was described in the record as a short-term victory for the county and partner nonprofits, indicating the dispute over the fund will continue through further filings and appeals. The block issued Feb. 25, 2026 means the county’s program remains in place pending the next steps in litigation.

For Harris County residents who rely on nonprofit legal counsel, the appellate order keeps the Immigrant Legal Services Fund functioning in the immediate term. The outcome on Feb. 25, 2026 buys time for county officials and the nonprofits to continue representation of clients facing deportation while the broader legal challenge proceeds.