| Houston, Texas – Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee issued the following statement regarding Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s lawsuit challenging Harris County’s Immigrant Legal Services Fund: "Harris County has funded this program for years because it’s the right thing to do. We’re helping people who live in our communities and who contribute every day to our local economy. That’s what good government looks like. This lawsuit is a cheap political stunt. At a time when the president has unleashed ICE agents to terrorize immigrant neighborhoods, deport U.S. citizens, and trample the law, it’s shameful that Republican state officials are joining in instead of standing up for Texans. Let’s be clear: this program is perfectly legal, and it ensures that people in our communities have access to due process, something every American should support. Despite the narratives pushed by rhetoric worst elements of the Republican Party, we know that immigrants in our communities obey the law, work hard, and strengthen our state. My office will fight back and defend Harris County’s right to lead with fairness, compassion, and common sense, no matter how many times Republican state officials try to erase that." |