Nathan Johnson says he will review Texas's immigration enforcement partnership with the federal government and put more of the attorney general's office behind consumer protection and antitrust. The Democratic state senator defeated Republican Mayes Middleton on Nov. 3, according to The Texas Tribune. In an interview published Sunday by Reuters, Johnson also said he would review legal actions pursued under outgoing Attorney General Ken Paxton.
For Texans, those plans touch two different parts of the office. Its consumer division can take a business to court under state law. Its investigators can also perform certain federal immigration functions under a written agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The incoming attorney general can set priorities for his own office. The authority of other agencies depends on their own agreements and the laws that govern them.
What happens to the ICE agreement
Paxton announced the agreement in January 2025 and urged other Texas law enforcement agencies to sign similar deals. The agreement between ICE and the Texas attorney general's office is a task force agreement under Section 287(g) of federal immigration law. It delegates specified duties to designated officers under federal oversight. It also spells out who can end the arrangement. Either signatory can terminate it at any time by giving the other written notice. The agreement says termination takes effect as soon as the other party receives the notice, which must be delivered in person or by certified or registered mail. It also allows a temporary suspension when the agencies need to redirect resources.
That clause gives Johnson a way to end his office's participation if he decides to do so. So far he has announced a review. The agreement covers the attorney general's office as the participating agency. An agreement that ICE signed separately with a sheriff's office or another police agency would have its own terms. Ending the attorney general's agreement would leave those separate agreements in place unless the parties took action on them.
Where consumer complaints go now
Texas residents can already file a complaint with the attorney general's Consumer Protection Division about a business, a business practice or a scam. That route is open during the transition. A complaint can give investigators information about conduct they might examine, especially when several consumers report the same practice.
The difference between filing a complaint and recovering money matters. Under Section 17.47 of the Texas Business and Commerce Code, the division can seek a court order to stop unlawful practices. The law also lets a court order compensation for identifiable people or the return of money or property obtained through unlawful conduct. Those remedies depend on the case and the court's order. Submitting a complaint by itself creates no award. Section 17.50 separately describes when consumers can bring their own action.
Johnson can decide which investigations and enforcement cases the office puts staff behind once he takes office. The Legislature sets the underlying consumer law, and the courts decide what relief to grant in contested cases. Texans looking for a concrete shift in enforcement can look for a new complaint filed by the state, a settlement that specifies who qualifies for relief or a change in the division's published priorities.
What to watch in pending cases
Johnson told Reuters he would look at actions involving out-of-state abortion providers and vaccine-related litigation. His review could produce different outcomes in different cases. The state could change its position or seek to withdraw a claim where procedure allows. Other parties and court orders can still shape what happens next.
For a pending lawsuit, a filing in that case will show what the state actually asks the court to do. For the immigration partnership, the agreement itself identifies the concrete step that would end the attorney general's participation. It requires written notice from either side.
