Appeals Court Upholds Harris County Immigration Legal Services Fund

On February 24, the Texas Fifteenth Court of Appeals denied the State’s request to block Harris County’s Immigration Legal Services Fund (ILSF), finding no evidence of harm and allowing this essential program to continue while litigation proceeds.

For JFAI, this ruling is about more than legal process, it’s about people’s lives. As one of the organizations funded through ILSF, JFAI provides free legal representation to residents in immigration detention.  The decision means we can keep doing what we do best: standing beside our clients as they fight to stay with their families.

“Every day, we meet clients who are terrified of losing everything and returning to environments they fear,” said Joy Green, Executive Director of JFAI. “Access to an attorney can be the difference between stability and separation, between hope and despair. This ruling allows us to keep showing up for our clients when they need us most.”

Without the ILSF, many Harris County families would face immigration court alone. These cases are complex and high-stakes, but with legal representation, people have a fair chance to be heard.

The appeals court’s decision affirms that funding legal representation for people facing deportation helps keep families and communities intact by ensuring cases are decided fairly.