Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has renewed his efforts to close down Annunciation House, a Catholic nonprofit organization in El Paso which operates a shelter network that assist asylum seekers.
Paxton has requested the state Supreme Court to allow his office to continue its attempts at closure, despite the fact that a state district judge ruled earlier this month that the state's request was "unenforceable" because immigration is under the purview of the federal government
Paxton has alleged for months that Annunciation House facilitates illegal migration by "operating a stash house" going as far as seeking to shut down the network after the state demanded records from the organization regarding its operations and the migrants it serves, which include provisions for shelter and transportation.
At that moment, Annunciation House obtained a temporary restraining order and requested additional time to determine which documents to provide. But Paxton's office responded by filing a countersuit which lead to the aforementioned ruling by Judge Francisco Domínguez of El Paso.
Dominguez's ruling explained that the state's claim "violates the Texas Religious Freedom Restoration Act by substantially burdening Annunciation House's free exercise of religion and failing to use the 'least restrictive means' of securing compliance with the law."
Nevertheless, Paxton's office released a statement criticizing the decision:
"The judge concluded that it was 'outrageous and intolerable' that the Office of the Attorney General would even investigate this conduct. The judge falsely accused the Office of the Attorney General of investigating Annunciation House because of the organization's 'support for the Catholic Church.' The judge's assertion is not supported by any evidence, and the judge tellingly failed to identify any."
Paxton took to social media to justify his appeal to the Supreme Court of Texas, claiming, "For too long, Annunciation House has flouted the law and contributed to the worsening illegal immigration crisis at Texas's border with Mexico."
🚨BREAKING: Today, I have appealed our NGO lawsuit directly to the Texas Supreme Court. For too long, Annunciation House has flouted the law and contributed to the worsening illegal immigration crisis at Texas's border with Mexico. I am appealing this case and will continue to... https://t.co/ZAHzQQvNqW
— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) July 15, 2024
Ruben Garcia, executive director of Annunciation House, expressed his lack of surprise at Paxton's latest legal move. "We were expecting that. We are very sorry that he is appealing the decision. Our hope had been that it would have been left alone and that we could continue on with our work," Garcia told The Texas Newsroom. "But obviously he has a different mindset."
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