Texas AG sues Annunciation House, seeks to revoke its ability to operate in state

EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing El Paso’s Annunciation House and is seeking to revoke its registration to operate in the state, according to the Attorney General’s Office.

“The Office of the Attorney General reviewed significant public record information strongly suggesting Annunciation House is engaged in legal violations such as facilitating illegal entry to the United States, alien harboring, human smuggling, and operating a stash house,” according to a news release on the Attorney General Office website that was published online Tuesday, Feb. 20.

Annunciation House is “a volunteer organization that offers hospitality to migrants, immigrants, and refugees in El Paso,” according to the group’s website.

“If the work that Annunciation House conducts is illegal, so too is the work of our local hospitals, schools and food banks,” Annunciation House said in a statement sent to KTSM.

“Annunciation House’s work is central to the City of El Paso,” Annunciation House said in its statement about the lawsuit. “El Paso has made a point of pride to provide humane support for people coming through our community in need.”

The Attorney General’s Office, however, said in its news release that it has “demanded” access to certain records from Annunciation House to “evaluate these potential legal violations.”

“But Annunciation House refused to produce a single document and, in response, sued the OAG to enjoin the Attorney General’s enforcement ability to obtain their documents. OAG has complete and unlimited authority to examine business records to ensure that entities operating within the State are doing so lawfully,” according to the news release.

“And the consequence of a flagrant failure to comply with such a request is that OAG may terminate the business’s right to operate in Texas. The OAG lawsuit seeks to revoke Annunciation House’s authorization to do business in Texas and asks the court to appoint a receiver to liquidate their assets,” the news release continued.

Paxton, a Republican, said: “The chaos at the southern border has created an environment where NGOs (nongovernment organizations), funded with taxpayer money from the Biden Administration, facilitate astonishing horrors including human smuggling. While the federal government perpetuates the lawlessness destroying this country, my office works day in and day out to hold these organizations responsible for worsening illegal immigration.”

Annunciation House responded by saying that the Attorney General’s Office visited Annunciation House on Feb. 7 “stating that the organization had one day to turn over a broad swath of records to the attorney general without an explanation.”

“Annunciation House asked a court to decide what documents the law permits the attorney general to access,” Annunciation House said in its response. “There nothing illegal about asking a court to a decide a person’s rights.”

Annunciation House said it has provided hospitality to hundreds of thousands of refugees for over 46 years.

“It is a work recognized by the Catholic Church and is listed in the National Catholic Directory,” the organization said in its response. “Annunciation House has done this work of accompaniment out of the scriptural and Gospel mandate to welcome the stranger. Annunciation House’s response to the stranger is no different from that of the schools who enroll children of refugees, the clinics and hospitals who care for the needs of refugees, and the churches, synagogues, and mosques who welcome families to join in worship.”

District Judge Francisco X Dominguez was supposed to have a temporary injunction hearing on Thursday, Feb. 22 in the 205th District Court.

However, Wednesday, in District Court, an extension on a temporary restraining order was granted until March 7. That means the hearing will won’t be held until March now.

Annunciation House will hold a news conference at 11 a.m. Friday to address what it calls the “Texas attorney general’s unprecedented assault.”