Paxton moves to shut down charity housing undocumented migrants

The Catholic charity refutes all allegations of illegal conduct.

AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- For nearly 50 years, Annunciation House has provided shelter, food, and education to refugees and undocumented immigrants in El Paso. The State of Texas is trying to shut them down, citing concerns they are harboring fugitives and thwarting law enforcement's efforts on the border.

In a new legal filing, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton argues "Annunciation House is engaged in systematic conduct that constitutes illegal alien harboring and operation of a stash house, as a matter of law – both of which constitute felony offenses." His office is asking an El Paso court to stop their operations, citing state and federal law that prohibits aiding and abetting illegal immigrants.

“Any non-governmental organization (NGO) facilitating the unlawful entry of illegal aliens into Texas is undermining the rule of law and potentially jeopardizing the safety and wellbeing of our citizens,” Attorney General Paxton said. “All NGOs who are complicit in Joe Biden’s illegal immigration catastrophe and think they are above the law should consider themselves on notice.”

The Catholic charity refutes all allegations of illegal conduct. They explain their “mission has always been to provide safe and free housing to refugee families in the Gospel spirit of service and solidarity" -- the same mission they say they have been accomplishing openly for 46 years.

"All (Annunciation) does is provide a place to sleep and food to families in need," Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid attorney Jerry Wesevich said. "The alternative would be to have families out on the street in El Paso and nobody wants that... it's imperative to welcome the stranger and to love one another. There's no smuggling that goes on. There's no stash house."

Wednesday's petition for a temporary injunction is the state's latest procedural move to attempt to shut the shelter down, but it follows the same allegations the Attorney General has pursued since February.

The Office of the Attorney General's (OAG) investigation follows a 2022 directive from Gov. Greg Abbott to investigate NGOs that he said may be "planning and facilitating the illegal transportation of illegal immigrants across our borders." In that letter, he offered to craft legislation that the OAG may propose to "(solve) the ongoing border crisis and the role that NGOs may play in encouraging it."

In last year's legislative session, lawmakers passed into law increased penalties for operating a "stash house" -- raising the mandatory minimum prison sentence to ten years. That law went into effect this February -- the same month the OAG brought the complaint against Annunciation House.

Wesevich projected confidence the court would block the OAG's efforts.

"We intend to take the evidence that we've gathered... and explain to the court why the evidence shows that the subpoena that the Attorney General served on Annunciation House is illegal and unenforceable," he said.