Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sues Bexar County, alleging misuse of taxpayer funds for the legal defense of migrants facing deportation.
BEXAR COUNTY, Texas — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against Bexar County, the Bexar County Commissioners Court and several county officials for alleged use of taxpayer money on the legal defense of migrants facing deportation.
The lawsuit claims back on Dec. 16, 2025, the Bexar County Commissioners allocated $566,181 in county money for legal services under a fund called Bexar County’s Immigration Legal Services. The lawsuit claims those legal services were for migrants who were in the U.S. illegally.
“State funds cannot underwrite deportation-defense services for individuals unlawfully present in the country,” Paxton said. “This use of hardworking Texans’ dollars is a flagrant violation of state law and the Texas Constitution.”
Paxton’s office claims in the lawsuit that deportation is a civil proceeeding, and therefore those facing deportation have no “constitutional or statutory right to government-appointed counsel,” the same way that someone facing criminal charges would. The lawsuit further claims those facing deportation can obtain a lawyer, but “at no expense to the government.”
See the full lawsuit below:
KENS 5 reached out to Bexar County for a response to the allegations in the lawsuit. The county said it would not “comment on pending litigation.”