Judge rejects Paxton’s bid to close El Paso migrant shelter

FILE – Parents of migrants socialize outside Annunciation House, June 26, 2018, in El Paso, Texas. A Texas judge ruled Monday, March 11, 2024, in favor of Annunciation House, a large migrant shelter on the U.S.-Mexico border that Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton wants to shut down over claims it encourages migrants to enter the country illegally. (AP Photo/Matt York, File)

EL PASO (Nexstar) — A state district judge on Tuesday denied Attorney General Ken Paxton’s request to close Annunciation House, a Catholic charity that provides food and shelter to migrants and refugees near the U.S.-Mexico border.

Judge Francisco Dominguez sided with the shelter, slamming Paxton’s legal actions as “outrageous and unacceptable,” accusing him of acting outside his authority and being politically motivated.

“The Attorney General’s conduct of harassment and predetermined results, without respect for the rights of Annunciation House employees and guests, is inevitable, ongoing and irreversible,” Dominguez wrote.

Paxton has not yet responded to the ruling. Nexstar has requested a statement.

Paxton asked a court to halt the shelter’s operations after it opposed his office’s requests for a series of documents. Paxton accuses the shelter of encouraging people to cross the border illegally and making it harder for law enforcement to arrest undocumented immigrants.

“Any nongovernmental organization (NGO) that facilitates the illegal entry of illegal immigrants into Texas undermines the rule of law and potentially threatens the safety and well-being of our citizens,” Paxton said last month. “Any NGOs that are complicit in Joe Biden’s illegal immigration disaster and believe they are above the law should consider themselves on high alert.”

An attorney for Annunciation House accused the attorney general of violating the charity’s religious freedom, subjecting it to unreasonable searches and seizures and making false statements to generate negative press about the “chaos” at the border. On Tuesday, he praised the ruling.

“The Attorney General’s harassment of the Annunciation House is morally and legally wrong, and it’s no surprise that the court agreed with us on every count,” said Jerry Wesevich of Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid. “If he ever makes a case that he should close the Annunciation House, what happens? All that means is more people on the streets of El Paso. Who does that help? All it does is feed the narrative of chaos at the border.”

Wesevich said he expects the state will appeal.