(C) El Paso Matters.org This story was originally published by El Paso Matters.org and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Judge promises ruling soon on Paxton efforts to close Annunciation House [1] ['Robert Moore', 'More Robert Moore', 'El Paso Matters', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Coauthors.Is-Layout-Flow', 'Class', 'Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus', 'Display Inline', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Avatar', 'Where Img', 'Height Auto Max-Width'] Date: 2024-06-17 An El Paso judge will rule within two weeks on the attempt by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to close Annunciation House’s migrant shelters, he said at the end of a hearing Monday. “There are a number of issues that were raised here that were addressed in the pleadings, but that, as you’ve argued them, require me to go back and revisit and look at it a little more closely. So, I would expect, and I’ll do my best to get something to you sooner, but expect a ruling on this in two weeks, by the end of two weeks,” 205th District Judge Francisco Dominguez said at the end of a 45-minute hearing. During the hearing, attorneys essentially summarized arguments they made at a previous hearing and in written filings to the court. Paxton and attorneys in his office say that Annunciation House – which has deep ties to the Catholic Church – runs “stash houses” and engages in human trafficking, allegations vehemently denied by the nonprofit. “We believe that the evidence demonstrates concealment, harboring, and shielding (of undocumented immigrants) because Annunciation House denies entry to law enforcement without a reasonable expectation of privacy. Annunciation House withheld documents pertaining to illegal aliens based on frivolous and pretextual objections,” Assistant Attorney General Robert Farquharson argued. The Attorney General’s Office has said Annunciation House’s refusal to provide requested business records in February gives the office the authority to strip the nonprofit of its ability to do business in Texas. Annunciation House’s attorneys say the state officials are violating the organization’s Fourth Amendment rights against unreasonable search and seizures, and its religious freedoms. “Annunciation House does not assert that the attorney general has no investigative authority or cannot investigate Annunciation House. No, the attorney general can, but there are laws, and the attorney general must respect those laws and has tried very hard to get around them at every juncture in this litigation,” said Jerome Wesevich, an attorney for Texas RioGrande Legal Aid who is representing Annunciation House. Annunciation House is asking Dominguez to block the attorney general from closing its operation and prevent future efforts to seize records without judicial review. The attorney general has asked Dominguez “to revoke its registration to conduct business in Texas, for an injunction against its continued operation, and for appointment of a receiver,” according to court filings. Pope Francis, in an interview on “60 Minutes,” called Paxton’s efforts to close Annunciation House “madness.” On Feb. 7, three representatives from the Attorney General’s Office served Annunciation House with a request to immediately examine operational records. Dominguez granted Annunciation House’s request for a temporary restraining order against the attorney general the following day. Annunciation House has said it will comply with laws requiring it to produce documents, but wanted guidance from a judge. Annunciation House founder Ruben Garcia, center, was joined by community leaders at a Feb. 23 news conference to address attempts by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to close the nonprofit’s services to people who have crossed the border. (Corrie Boudreaux/El Paso Matters) Paxton countersued Annunciation House on Feb. 20, alleging the nonprofit failed to immediately respond to his requests for records and should be stripped of its ability to do business in Texas. In a two-hour hearing on March 7, Dominguez suggested Paxton had “ulterior political motives” in seeking records from Annunciation House. On March 11, Dominguez issued an order blocking further action by the Attorney General’s Office until he could review legal arguments. “The Attorney General’s efforts to run roughshod over Annunciation House, without regard to due process or fair play, call into question the true motivation for the Attorney General’s attempt to prevent Annunciation House from providing the humanitarian and social services that it provides. There is a real and credible concern that the attempt to prevent Annunciation House from conducting business in Texas was predetermined,” Dominguez said in his ruling. Annunciation House, a nonprofit organization, has been providing what it calls hospitality for migrants and refugees since 1978. Federal border enforcement officials have long relied on Annunciation House to take in migrants after they’ve been processed and given a court date. Paxton and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott have increasingly criticized Annunciation House and other Catholic organizations for providing services to migrants on the border. [END] --- [1] Url: https://elpasomatters.org/2024/06/17/el-paso-annunciation-house-texas-ag-ken-paxton-hearing/ Published and (C) by El Paso Matters.org Content appears here under this condition or license: Creative Commons CC BY-ND 4.0 International. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/elpasomatters/