One of the bills being filed in the Texas legislature aims to prohibit the use of taxpayer money to fund legal services for illegal foreign nationals. This includes using funds to fight deportation efforts.
State Representative Giovanni Capriglione, a Republican from Southlake, recently introduced House Bill 1554 in anticipation of the upcoming legislative session. This bill aims to prohibit the use of taxpayer funds by state and local entities to provide legal services for foreign nationals who are residing in Texas unlawfully.
The bill aims to prohibit the use of public funds, such as grants, by boards, commissions, councils, departments, state agencies, institutions of higher education, and political subdivisions to cover legal services for individuals involved in immigration-related civil proceedings, specifically those who are deemed unlawfully present in the United States under the federal Immigration and Nationality Act.
The proposed legislation would also bar the state from reimbursing political subdivisions for offering legal assistance to undocumented foreign nationals. However, it is important to note that this law does not apply to impoverished defendants who are entitled to representation under the Code of Criminal Procedure, as stated in the bill.
Ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s aggressive deportation initiative, which has been opposed by certain sanctuary cities, a bill was introduced. These cities have expressed their opposition to the deportation efforts by expanding their legal defense funds. It is worth mentioning that these defense funds were initially established in 2017 in response to Trump’s first deportation effort.
The Vera Institute of Justice’s Safety and Fairness for Everyone (SAFE) Network, launched in 2017, receives funding from the Open Society Foundation of billionaire George Soros and the Department of Justice under the Biden administration.
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey is urging Congress to conduct an investigation into and terminate federal grants given to the Vera Institute. This organization, which is described as “radically progressive,” is accused of working towards undermining criminal prosecution in the United States. The institute allegedly trains district attorneys and prosecutors to implement policies that are perceived as being “soft on crime.” Notably, it receives substantial funding from George Soros and is reported to receive tens of millions of dollars in federal funds every year. Attorney General Bailey contends that the institute’s objective is to dismantle the existing criminal justice system.
The Vera Institute is actively involved in nearly 60 projects across 40 states. In Texas, they are vehemently opposing the border security efforts. The organization is currently collaborating with local governments and organizations in Austin, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio. They have also partnered with the county governments of Bexar and Harris.
The SAFE Network is comprised of a variety of communities that are committed to offering publicly-funded legal representation for individuals who are facing deportation. Its primary objective is to establish a substantial number of publicly-funded programs at the local and state levels, which will provide legal assistance to undocumented immigrants who are detained and facing the possibility of deportation.
According to data from the SAFE Network, there are over 205,100 non-citizens residing in Austin, nearly 864,000 in Dallas, and more than 163,400 in San Antonio who may be at risk of deportation.
Taxpayer dollars are being used to fund legal defense for individuals who are facing detention and deportation.
In Houston, the biggest city in Texas, the Harris County Commissioner’s Court has been giving its approval for the past two years to a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Vera Institute. This MOU allows for the provision of legal assistance to immigrants through the county’s Immigrant Legal Services Fund (ILSF). The ILSF was established in 2020 with an initial allocation of $500,000 from taxpayer funds.
The county then approved $2 million in taxpayer funds to offer legal assistance to undocumented immigrants from November 9, 2022, to November 8, 2023, through ILSF/Vera Institute. This allocation was separate from the previous year’s agreement and was fully utilized. Additionally, an extra $2 million was allocated for the same program in the 2024 calendar year.
Bexar County’s Immigrant Legal Defense Fund has allocated $1 million in 2022 to support nonprofit organizations American Gateways and RAICES in offering legal assistance to individuals who have crossed the border illegally and are residing in the county. The fund aims to provide legal services to those facing deportation, ensuring that they have access to representation. As part of this initiative, free legal services are being advertised, with the expenses covered by taxpayers, specifically for foreign nationals who are in removal proceedings.
In fiscal year 2023-2024, the city of Austin made an agreement with American Gateways to provide over $2 million to support detained and non-detained immigrants in Austin/Travis County and help stabilize their immigration status. This comes after approving a funding of more than $1.8 million in fiscal year 2021-2022 and $975,000 in 2019 to support the program.
San Antonio has partnered with American Gateways and Catholic Charities to offer free legal representation to undocumented immigrants facing the risk of deportation. In a move approved by the city council in September 2021, $1.5 million of taxpayer funds were allocated to support the services provided by Catholic Charities of San Antonio, American Gateways, Lutheran Immigration Services, and American Organization for Immigrants.
Capriglione’s proposed legislation aims to prevent localities from utilizing taxpayer funds to support legal defense programs.