Defense attorney Sylvia Delgado has submitted an objection claiming that Philip Wischkaemper, lead defender with the Lubbock Private Defender Office, has asserted that defense attorneys are being forced to work to leave migrants incarcerated even if they choose to plead guilty so that they can go home.
The allegations were brought up by Texas Scorecard, which outlines the complaint by stating: "Philip heads up Lubbock PRIVATE Defenders' Office. He appointed me to many OPERATION LONE STAR cases but told me in no uncertain terms we cannot, shall not, plead any of our clients guilty. I did a few (5) and he got very ugly with me, cussing at me for even attempting to plead a client guilty. He stopped me mid-plea during court docket and said GOD DAMMIT SYLVIA! If we'll just tell our clients to wait in jail, be patient, wait 'on behalf of your brethren' we can bust the Operation Lone Star by delaying until DPS Officers have retired. Wait two years! he said. These are misdemeanors and my clients want to plead guilty and want out of jail so they can return to their home countries. He is ordering ALL the defense attorneys to not plead any clients guilty even as it is in direct opposition to my clients' wishes."
GOP gubernatorial candidate Don Huffines said that Gov. Greg Abbott was using the ploy to score political points.
“This is a prime example of Greg Abbott’s failed leadership,” Huffines told the Lone Star Standard. “The army of RINOs in the government have created an environment where far-left activists are comfortable breaking the law for their progressive agenda. I would call on Greg Abbott to fix this, but what is the use? He doesn’t care if Operation Lone Star succeeds as long as he can use it to score political points. Texas needs a courageous governor to enforce the law - when I’m elected, I will.”
The Lubbock Private Defender Office is financed by taxpayers to give legal defense to individuals who entered the country illegally, while Wischkaemper's approach "would effectively sabotage Operation Lone Star," according to The Texas Scorecard.
Attorney General Ken Paxton has noted the people who enter the country illegally account for $850 million annually to Texas taxpayers.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported that during the initial three months of fiscal year 2022, the agency documented 518,360 people trying to get into America illegally compared to 218,036 and 128,347 during the same time period in 2021 and 2020, respectively.
Abbott and Huffines, who previously represented Texas' 16th State Senate District, will face off in the gubernatorial primary on March 1.
