By Veronica Escobar
Annunciation House is a critical faith-based partner to federal and local governments, offering temporary supportive housing and hospitality to migrants and asylum seekers who have been processed and released by Customs and Border Protection. Their work in El Paso has been instrumental in preventing what CBP calls “street releases” of asylum seekers and has been a model of humanitarian support for decades.
The accusations being made by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton are outrageous, and the tactics he employed — explicitly and illegally attempting to shutter a local nongovernmental organization — are reminiscent of the abuses of power employed during some of our darkest periods in American history.
It appears that Attorney General Paxton is targeting Catholic and faith-based organizations and individuals who may have contact with suspected undocumented people, using the playbook from a racist, xenophobic past.
If Paxton believes that Annunciation House merits investigation, he should apply that same standard to Gov. Greg Abbott, who has literally transported a similar population across state lines.
I am sounding the alarm to all NGOs, faith-based institutions, schools and health care organizations that this is clearly going to be a strategy for the MAGA extremists who are in positions of authority and power.
We can expect more of this not just in Texas, but in other Republican-led states that are intent on demonizing immigrants and those who provide support to them.
This is dangerous, hateful, and shameful.
Last week I met with Attorney General Merrick Garland in Washington and alerted him to the tactics being used in El Paso by both Attorney General Paxton and Gov. Abbott, and I have asked the Department of Justice to investigate what I believe are horrific civil rights violations.
What makes this misuse of government power even more atrocious is the fact that Paxton, who is under criminal indictment and was impeached by the Texas House of Representatives, believes not only that he is above the law, but has been emboldened to use his position as a weapon in order to victimize citizens like Ruben Garcia in an egregious abuse of law.
The post Opinion: Paxton taps racist, xenophobic playbook in attacking Annunciation House, Rep. Escobar says appeared first on El Paso Matters.
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