EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — Borderland leaders and the El Paso community came together to express their support for the Annunciation House as it fights against the lawsuit filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Religious leaders and elected officials spoke out at the news conference on Friday, Feb. 23, condemning the Office of the Attorney General saying Paxton’s actions are an “unprecedented attack.”
Earlier this week, Paxton announced that he is suing Annunciation House and seeking to shut it down. Paxton contends that Annunciation House is encouraging illegal entry into the United States and operates as a “stash house.”
Speaking at the news conference in defense of Annunciation House were:
Ruben Garcia, founder and director of the Annunciation House.
Jerome Wesevich, attorney for the Annunciation House.
Bishop Mark Seitz with the Catholic Diocese of El Paso.
El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser.
County Judge Ricardo Samaniego.
U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas.
State Rep. Joe Moody, D-El Paso.
State Sen. Cesar Blanco, D-El Paso.
A statement drafted by Rabbi Bejamin Zeidman was read aloud, as well.
“Attorney General Paxton compounds his abuse of power by focusing it on a religious organization that is putting the Catholic faith into practice,” Wesevich said.
Wesevich said the accusations left the Annunciation House with no other option but to sue Paxton.
“Volunteers at Annunciation House do a lot of hard work and they do it because they value service to others. That is not a crime,” Wesevich said.
The Annunciation House has been providing shelter and food for hundreds of thousands of migrants who cross through the community for the past 46 years, officials with the organization said.
Ruben Garcia, founder and director of the Annunciation House, reacted to the language used in the lawsuit and said: “To call our houses of hospitality stash houses, is there no shame? To refer to houses of God, houses of hospitality as stash houses?”
Local officials said this lawsuit was a politically motivated attack and a clear abuse of power.
Blanco said: “Our border communities have been used, abused, to advance the political agenda of politicians in this state. Harassing religious-based communities won’t put an end to this crisis. We need real solutions.”
Garcia warned that by allowing Paxton to succeed in shutting down Annunciation House would set a dangerous precedent.
“I think we would be the first organization, the first NGO of others to follow because the success would lead to them believing that we can shut down additional houses of hospitality,” Garcia said.
According to a news release from the Annunciation House, the center along with 141 organizations and individuals are demanding action from the U.S. Department of Justice to stop Texas Gov. Greg Abbott from undermining the federal government on immigration. They are also asking for a guarantee that all non-governmental organizations, humanitarian providers, and shelters can continue working without fear of retaliation from the Texas government.
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