El Paso community shows support for Annunciation House as shelter fights Texas AG in court

El Paso community leaders came together to support the Annunciation House as it battles Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in court after he called the nonprofit migrant shelter — which has helped thousands of migrants — a "stash house."

"This isn't about a discussion of country conditions that push people to flee their country," Annunciation House director Ruben Garcia said. "This is not about a discussion about what immigration policy should be ... This is not about electioneering.

"What this is about is human beings who have arrived, who are now in front of us, that are in our community, and the question arises, how do we respond to these human beings? For so many years, and part of the shock of this moment, is that for over 46 years, we have been welcoming the refugee across many political administrations and moments and officers."

The migrants shelter filed a lawsuit against the Texas Attorney General after it demanded the shelter turn over documents related to the services it provides and the names of the migrants it has helped. Shelter leaders then filed a lawsuit asking a court to determine what documents, if any, the shelter was legally required to release.

In response, Paxton filed a counter lawsuit claiming the migrant shelter was "facilitating illegal entry to the United States, alien harboring, human smuggling, and operating a stash house."

"I want to start by giving Annunciation House my deepest gratitude and my deepest sympathies," Texas Rep. Joe Moody, D-El Paso, said. "You do incredible work and we've (El Paso state delegates) never been so angry and appalled as when we learned about this attack on you.

"I wasn't surprised about it though. I know far more than most of what kind of man Ken Paxton is. And believe me when I say we don't have enough time in the day to cover all of his sins. But this isn't about him. It's about us. Who we are, how we respond. And I'm here to tell everyone that no matter what Paxton or anyone else does, we won't compromise our values. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever."

More: Annunciation House responds to AG Paxton's allegations of human smuggling

Moody was among several prominent El Paso leaders who gathered Friday, Feb. 23, at the Casa Vides Annunciation House, 325 Leon St., in Downtown El Paso for a news conference to show their support for the historic migrants shelter.

U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar,, D-El Paso, Catholic Diocese of El Paso Bishop Mark Seitz, El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser, El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego, and Texas state Sen. Cesar Blanco, D-El Paso, spoke in support of Garcia, volunteers and the shelter.

More than 50 community members attended the event with dozens more chanting in support outside of the shelter.

The support for Annunciation House was on full display as Garcia received a standing ovation when he walked into the news conference.

"An attack on one is an attack on all and we are all here to stand with you and support you and express our incredible gratitude for you," Escobar told Garcia. "I think it is so important for everyone to understand the role Annunciation House plays, not just in our community, but in our state and for our nation. Annunciation House has been a humanitarian leader in this part of the world for decades."

The Annunciation House provides basic services such as housing, food, showers and travel assistance to migrants who are legally released into the U.S. by federal agencies pending their immigration case, Garcia said.

Legal battle between Texas Attorney General and Annunciation House

The legal saga started in early February when Paxton sent three lawyers to the Annunciation House demanding the nonprofit turn over documents, Annunciation House attorney Jerome Wesevich said. The documents requested included evidence of services provided by the shelter, applications of humanitarian relief funding, and logs identifying migrants who the shelter has served.

The lawyers allegedly told the Annunciation House leaders they had one day to turn over the documents. Garcia and his lawyers requested a time extension to go over which documents they were legally required to turnover. The Texas Office of the Attorney General denied the request.

"I promptly emailed the Texas Attorney General's office and said 'Annunciation House will respond in 30 days," Wesevich said. "I immediately got an email back saying, 'no, you have one day to respond. If you don't respond, we will close down Annunciation House.' This left the Annunciation House with no option but to sue Attorney General Paxton to challenge his abuse of power."

A lawsuit was filed by the Annunciation House asking for a court to rule on what documents the migrant shelter must release.

"Attorney General Paxton claims that he can walk into any business at any time and demand any documents that he wants, including customer records, medical records, legal records," Wesevich said. "He claims that if the business does not cooperate to his satisfaction, that he can permanently shut down that business in Texas. Attorney General Paxton thinks that he can do this all by himself without any judicial involvement at all."

More: Texas AG Ken Paxton sues Catholic migrant aid organization for alleged 'human smuggling'

Paxton filed a counter lawsuit against the Annunciation House claiming it was a "stash house" providing illegal services to migrants.

“The chaos at the southern border has created an environment where NGOs (non-governmental organizations), funded with taxpayer money from the Biden administration, facilitate astonishing horrors including human smuggling,” Paxton said in a statement. “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.”

Attorney General officials said the office "demanded access to certain specified records to evaluate these potential legal violations."

Garcia said he was appalled a community organization working to help people in need would be called a stash house.

"I personally am taken aback by the use of words like smuggling (and) to call our houses of hospitality 'stash houses,'" Garcia said. "Is there no shame to refer to houses of God, houses of hospitality, as stash houses?"

Both lawsuits remain pending in state district court.

Implications lawsuit could have on nonprofits across Texas

Garcia fears the lawsuit by the attorney general is the first move by the state to close down other shelters across the state.

"We gather now to begin the effort of responding to the intention to want to close down, beginning with the Annunciation House, houses of hospitality," Garcia said. "This is a forewarning to other entities that also do the work of hospitality that they can very well be next."

El Paso will stand in solidarity with Garcia and the Annunciation House, community leaders pledged.

"It's a critical service for our community and it's a critical service for the asylum seekers that are coming in here," Leeser said. "When you see somebody in need, the city of El Paso doesn't turn it's back. The city of El Paso stepped forward and we stepped forward to help hundreds of thousands (of migrants).

"You (Garcia Annunciation House) have provided for hundreds of thousands of people and you will continue to provide that. This won't slow us down because we can't. We continue to have people coming into our country. We continue to have people that need a shelter, need a warm meal, need food, and this city will not turn it's back on anybody."

Seitz, who is the U.S. Bishops’ Conference Migration Committee chair, denounced the effort to target the migrant shelter.

"For generations, El Paso has worked hard to build a resilient, welcoming borderland community, a place of welcome and dignity," Seitz said. "Today, however, we find ourselves in an impossible position hemmed in on all sides. On the one hand, we are challenged by serious federal neglect to provide a safe, orderly, and humane response to migration at our southern border. On the other hand, we are now witnessing an escalating campaign of intimidation, fear, and dehumanization in the state of Texas."

Aaron Martinez may be reached at amartinez1@elpasotimes.com or on Twitter @AMartinezEPT.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Pasoans show support for Annunciation House in legal battle with AG