If you pay taxes in Harris County, Texas you may be curious how the government spends your money.
Roads? Hospitals? Public services?
It turns out the Democrats who run Harris County are planning on using $2.5 million to provide legal services for soon-to-be-deported migrants. Because, after all, if someone is here illegally it's your responsibility to help them.
Huh?
In a 3 to 2 party-line vote, the Harris County Commissioners Court has approved spending more than $2 million over the next two years to provide legal services for illegal immigrants residing in the county.
Last February, County Judge Lina Hidalgo (D) had initiated her plan to provide the services, but at that time said the cost for the first year would be approximately $500,000. This week’s vote serves to officially implement the Immigrant Legal Services Fund (ILSF) and allocates $2,050,000 to cover costs for the next two years.
The ILSF will consist of a county-wide program to assist with the provision of legal representation for indigent immigrant adults, children, or families in detention or facing the threat of deportation who are residents of Harris County.
In addition, the county is creating a new full-time assistant director of immigration, who will develop and implement plans to “ensure that the county better serves the needs of our immigrant residents.”
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo speaks during an interview in Houston, Texas, U.S., on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2019. Houston-area residents should follow stay-at-home guidelines that were discontinued weeks ago to cope with a resurgence in Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations, Hidalgo said. Photographer: Sharon Steinmannn/Bloomberg via Getty Images