In 2023, Harris County Democrats voted down party lines to provide $1.9 million for Immigration Legal Services to BakerRipley. The local NGO which has received $100s of millions from the County since the local Democrats took charge back in the manufactured blue wave in 2018.
History:
-Baker Ripley has received $100s of millions from the county of arpa and local taxpayer dollars.
-Many of the county employees are former employees of Baker Ripley
If you go to the counties auditors website, you’ll find millions of dollars allocated to this NGO, yet, there’s been no oversight as to how the money is being spent.
In 2021, the county spent over $2 million on immigration legal services:
Harris County is the first county in Texas to offer legal services to illegal immigrants, although Austin, San Antonio, and Dallas have been providing similar assistance. These Texas cities now offer enhanced identification cards through our public libraries. A program which was facilitated through Texas Organizing Project, most of the organizers were formerly with ACORN at TOP.
Other locations offering taxpayer-funded deportation defense services include New York, Seattle, Chicago, and Los Angeles.
In February of 2020, 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. In November of 2020, the County 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.”
Founded in 2017, the SAFE Network consists of 18 cities and counties designating taxpayer funds for a collaborative effort with immigration legal service providers to craft a public defender system for all immigrants facing deportation.
SAFE Network participants commit to providing “universal representation” for any immigrant “regardless of income, race, national origin, or history with the criminal legal system.” The group’s stated goal is to make publicly funded universal representation for any illegal resident a federal mandate.
Other jurisdictions in the SAFE Network include large urban areas such as Los Angeles and New York City, as well as the Texas cities of Austin, Dallas, and San Antonio.
Along with the vote to create the ILSF, commissioners unanimously approved a related proposal from Commissioner Adrian Garcia (D-Pct.2) to allocate $500,000 for services to county residents who may be eligible for immigration relief due to status as a victim of crime passed unanimously.
December 20, 2022
$394,960 For immigration legal services
The County then entered into an agreement with the VERA Institute of Justice ( which is funded by Soros and Arnold Ventures) then allocated over $2 MILLION for Immigration Legal Services
The County has also entered into “data sharing agreements” with the Catholic charities, Baker Ripley, and the Immigration representation project regarding the immigration law services the county taxpayers are providing to illegals.
Meanwhile, Harris County Commissioners Court was tasked with approving the creation of 6 new additional courts to combat the backlog in which the Democrats voted against on tuesday. Lina Hidalgo had quite the meltdown over getting the additional funds which is ballpark $12 million.
If the county were to add these additional courts, the criminal backlog would be greatly reduced leading to saving the county millions from not having to send prisoners to out of state jails. It currently costs the county $28 million for 3 months of outsourcing prisoners.
The answer seems to be simple, but not to someone like Lina Hidalgo, Rodney Ellis, and Adrian Garcia
Here you can see Hidalgo causing a scene over “finding the money to fund the courts”
Want to add: I did read this really great, and important, article. But I just won't be able to remember it all. Get over 300 emails a day and have over 100,000 files.
Want to add: I did read this really great, and important, article. But I just won't be able to remember it all. Get over 300 emails a day and have over 100,000 files.
I can't transcribe over a black background, in order to share the points in certain articles. Sorry.