Judge rejects Ken Paxton’s effort to shut down El Paso nonprofit that helps migrants

A state district judge declined Tuesday to shut down an El Paso nonprofit that assists migrants, rejecting a legal challenge by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton as “outrageous and intolerable.”
Paxton had asked District Judge Francisco Dominguez to close Annunciation House, which runs several shelters, arguing the nonprofit encourages illegal immigration by providing services to migrants regardless of their legal status.
Paxton also asked Dominguez to enforce an attorney general’s office subpoena seeking a long list of Annunciation House records, including documents identifying every migrant the nonprofit had helped, and the services it provided, since the start of 2022.
Dominguez called the subpoena by Paxton’s agency “a pretext to justify its harassment of Annunciation House employees and the persons seeking refuge.”
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“As the top law enforcement officer of the state of Texas, the Attorney General has a duty to uphold all laws, and not just selectively interpret or misuse those that can be manipulated to advance his own personal beliefs or political agenda,” Dominguez wrote.
Texas can appeal the judge’s ruling. The attorney general’s office did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
Jerry Wesevich, an attorney for Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid who represents Annunciation House, celebrated the ruling at a news conference Tuesday.
“There is no legal basis for closing a nonprofit that provides social services to refugees,” he said.
The dispute between Paxton and Annunciation House began in February, when lawyers with the attorney general’s office demanded to examine documents held by the Catholic nonprofit.
Annunciation House sued to block the demand, and Paxton countersued, accusing the nonprofit of violating state laws against operating a “stash house” for undocumented immigrants and engaging in human smuggling.
In his written ruling Tuesday, Dominguez said Paxton went on a fishing expedition in search of “alleged criminal activity.”
Dominguez, citing a 2015 Supreme Court decision, said Annunciation House had a right to have a neutral decision-maker investigate its internal records for evidence of lawbreaking.
Paxton did not give Annunciation House that opportunity, the judge said, choosing instead to “harass a human rights organization with impunity.”
Paxton’s attempt to close Annunciation House followed calls from prominent “America First” voices, including Tucker Carlson, to crack down on charities and nongovernmental organizations that provide aid to migrants without regard to their legal status.
Democratic lawmakers and El Paso’s Catholic bishop defended Annunciation House, saying it provides necessary services to a vulnerable population.
U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso, celebrated Tuesday’s ruling.
“I’m relieved Ken Paxton’s repugnant political attack, which wasted state and local resources, was struck down by the court,” she said on social media.