SW Houston News

HOUSTON – A taxpayer-funded program that will give legal services to legal and illegal immigrants was approved for Harris County.

At a meeting of commissioners, many people spoke in favor of the program.

“We’re very excited to propose a measure that’s going to inject a measure of fairness into our justice system,” County Judge Lina Hidalgo said. “I’ve seen the impact of a federal immigration system that is so broken and convoluted that folks are desperate to have an answer to their case.”

Hidalgo requested the program, The Immigration Legal Services Program, be created and it was approved 3-2 by county commissioners.  

“Harris County benefits tremendously from the diversity, energy and entrepreneurship that immigrants provide. If we’re serious about being a county that puts families first, we can start by ensuring they’re not torn apart by a daunting, broken and unfair federal immigration system,” Hidalgo said. 

More than 25% of the county's residents are immigrants, which includes illegal immigrants, officials said. Approximately 18,300 of these residents need legal representation. 

“Everyone in our city deserves access to justice and the ability to plead their case in ways our Constitution guarantees,” Rabbi Oren Hayon of Congregation Emanu El in Houston said. 

The program will cost $500,000 for the first year. The program is critical, because immigrants need legal representation to receive due process, Hidalgo said. Some immigrants do not receive legal representation if they are facing deportation and their children sometimes have to defend themselves in court. 

“The children of detained and deported parents face enormous health and mental health challenges that can lead to poor performance in school and increased risk of poverty, placement in foster care, incarceration, and food and housing insecurity,” Hidalgo said.

Rabbi David Segal supports the program, saying immigrant families shouldn't be separated. 

“Families belong together, and everyone deserves due process,” Segal said.

Some people were against the program, because it is a taxpayer-funded program. Republicans Maria Espinoza, Jack Cagle and Steve Radack said the county shouldn't deal with immigration services. 

“The Harris County taxpayer should not foot the bill and hold the bag for those who intentionally cross (the border) illegally,” Espinoza said.

Federation for American Immigration Reform spokesman Ira Mehlman also spoke against the policy, advocating for reduced immigration. 

Andrea Guttin, legal director of the Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative, said approximately 27,000 immigrants are facing deportation in Houston. The U.S. spends $1.6 million to detain immigrants in jails, which is more than other countries, she said. Approximately 250,000 children in Harris County have a parent facing deportation as well, she said. 

“Children who are separated from their deported parents may never reunite with them,” Guttin said.

Other U.S. cities that provide legal services to immigrants are Austin, Dallas, San Antonio, Atlanta, Baltimore and Denver. 

“This is a due process issue,” Guttin said. “There has been a trend across the country and across Texas to put taxpayer dollars to this funding.”