AUSTIN — Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office announced a wide range of actions over the past several weeks, from an emergency intervention to protect a newborn’s life to new investigations into vaccine recommendations, food labeling, and hospital billing tied to birth tourism, according to a series of releases from the Office of the Attorney General.
Baby Gabriel: Emergency Intervention Secures Life-Saving Surgery
Paxton intervened in a Dallas County parentage case to protect the life of an unborn child diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a serious but treatable congenital heart condition that typically requires staged surgery beginning shortly after birth. According to the release, the child, referred to as baby Gabriel, was diagnosed at approximately 20 weeks. The intended parents allegedly demanded that the surrogate mother undergo an abortion after learning of the diagnosis. The surrogate mother refused and traveled to Texas, seeking both legal protection and access to doctors experienced in treating the condition. According to the office, the intended parents refused to consent to life-saving surgery after birth and may have attempted to remove the child from the state to prevent treatment.
Paxton filed an intervention asking the court to direct the child’s care upon birth, prohibit his removal from Texas, and set an expedited hearing for any refusal of treatment. He also notified UT Southwestern Medical Center and Children’s Medical Center of Dallas of their independent legal duty to treat the child regardless of the parentage dispute. Less than 24 hours later, the office secured an emergency court order guaranteeing care without delay and barring anyone from withholding treatment or removing the child while the case was pending. According to the most recent release, Gabriel was born and received the life-saving care ordered by the court, and Paxton has since filed a notice of nonsuit to close the matter. Paxton said his office used every legal tool available to protect the child and asked Texans to continue praying for his health.
American Academy of Pediatrics Investigated Over Vaccine Recommendations
Paxton opened an investigation into the American Academy of Pediatrics over concerns the organization may be promoting childhood vaccines for financial gain. According to the release, the AAP has participated in developing the CDC’s Childhood Vaccine Schedule since 1995 and has consistently promoted its recommendations to providers and the public. After HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. began modifying the schedule and reconstituting the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices in 2025, the AAP sued HHS, arguing the changes lacked scientific basis, and later published its own separate immunization schedule, urging insurers to cover every vaccine it recommends. The release notes the AAP’s top corporate donors are pharmaceutical companies that would stand to lose financially from a reduced vaccine schedule. Paxton has issued a Civil Investigative Demand to determine the basis for the AAP’s recommendations, saying parents deserve vaccine guidance driven by science rather than financial incentives.
South Texas Hospitals Investigated Over Birth Tourism Billboards
Paxton is investigating Mission Regional Medical Center and Knapp Medical Center in Weslaco after Spanish-language billboards near the border advertised childbirth packages to expectant mothers in Mexico, directing them to a website called havemybabyinTEXAS.com. The investigation is part of a broader look into potentially unlawful birth tourism schemes, following an April lawsuit against a Houston-area postpartum care center accused of coaching Chinese nationals to deceive federal immigration officials.
Food Manufacturers Investigated Over “Heart Healthy” Labels
The office launched an investigation into major food manufacturers, including Frito-Lay, Flora Food Group, and ACH Foods, over products marketed as heart-healthy despite containing high levels of omega-6 fatty acids, added sugars, and other ingredients the release says undercut that claim. Paxton said he won’t allow companies to market seed oils and processed ingredients as healthy simply by adding a heart-healthy label.
Texas Children’s Hospital Settlement Finalized
A settlement between Paxton’s office and Texas Children’s Hospital has been fully executed, requiring the hospital to pay $10 million, with $8,576,000 going to the state, over claims it billed Texas Medicaid for unallowable gender-transition interventions. The agreement also compels the creation of the nation’s first detransition clinic, to open by the end of October 2026, and requires permanent termination of privileges for multiple physicians involved.
Fifth Circuit Upholds Mail-In Ballot ID Requirements
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit reversed a lower court ruling and upheld key provisions of Texas’s Election Integrity Act, including identification requirements for mail-in ballots and safeguards around voter assistance. Paxton called it a win for election integrity and said his office will continue defending the law.
Letters Sent to Over 110 Cities Over Property Tax Increases
Paxton’s office sent letters to more than 110 Texas cities notifying them they’re barred from raising property taxes above the no-new-revenue rate under SB 1851, after an investigation into more than 1,000 municipalities found noncompliance with the state’s financial audit and transparency requirements. This follows an earlier round of letters sent to 130 cities in May.
Appeal Filed in ActBlue Consumer Protection Case
Paxton filed an appeal after a Massachusetts federal court blocked his office from pursuing a Texas lawsuit against ActBlue, the political fundraising platform, over allegations it continued processing gift card donations despite representing otherwise. Paxton argues the Massachusetts court lacked jurisdiction and improperly interfered with an ongoing Texas state case.
Life Sentence Secured in Houston County Murder Case
A Houston County jury convicted Robert Lee Steveson, 66, of capital murder for the 2024 killing of his neighbor, Herbert “Andy” Allen, during a home invasion. Steveson, who was on parole for a 1979 murder and multiple sexual assaults, was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Investigators found a partially burned bank bag believed to belong to the victim in a burn barrel at Steveson’s home.
Kellogg’s and General Mills Remove Dyes From School Cereals
Following settlements reached in 2025, both Kellogg’s and General Mills have removed synthetic dyes from cereal products served in K-12 schools ahead of the new school year, replacing them with colorings derived from fruit and vegetable juices. Both companies have committed to removing the dyes from their full product lines by the end of 2027.
Avocado Oil Products Investigated Over Undisclosed Seed Oils
The office opened an investigation into companies marketing products as “made with avocado oil,” including Primal Kitchen, Siete Foods, and Chosen Foods, after a 2026 UC Davis study found undisclosed seed oils in a large majority of tested chips, mayonnaise, and dressing samples labeled as avocado oil-based. Paxton said consumers shouldn’t have to worry about being misled when trying to choose healthier products at the grocery store.
