Recently, the Annunciation House has been under fire as the Texas Attorney General accuses it of being a stash house for illegal immigrants. 

The growing border crisis in El Paso has caused a ripple affect all around our community, the allegations against the Annunciation House are just a part of that ripple. 

On February 7th, the Texas Attorney General, Ken Paxton, sent house director, Ruben Garcia, a demand to hand over sensitive documents about migrants staying at the shelter and other staff activity. 

According to The Texas Tribune, criminal investigator with Ken Paxton’s office, Anthony Carter, said in court documents “ several Hispanic individuals from adults to small children seen entering and leaving.” 

Another attorney with Paxton’s office, Rob Farquharson said the shelter seemed to have an “unusually covert way” of operating. 

Farquharson also said, The Annunciation House appears ,“ to be engaged in the business of human smuggling.” 

Paxton’s attorneys are accusing the Annunciation House of being an stash house and operation to encourage illegal immigration. 

In a press release, The Annunciation House said “It [AG’s Office] has stated that it considers it a crime for a Catholic organization to provide shelter to refugees.”

According to The Texas Tribune, Jerome Wesevich, with the Annunciation House said, “When we first read it, we thought it was creepy, I don’t know if I would call it spying, but if they would have just asked us, we would have talked to them.”

Paxton’s Office sent lawyers to the Annunciation House, in search of the records, demanding a one say turnover for the documents, Wesevich said that it wasnt enough time. 

Paxton’s team took this as a noncompliance and filed  a counter suit to shut down thier whole operation. 

On Monday, March 11, Paxton and his team were stopped when their supeana was trumped by Texas’ rules of civil procedure about the discovery. 

According to CNN’s account of the trial, both the Attorney General’s office and The Annunciation House must now deliberate within the guidelines of the Texas Rules of Civil Procedue. 

Meaning that, moving forward, both parties must remain  civil while resolving their issues including  the blind accusations and impossible demands  that were thrown around before. 

Locally  

In The Annunciation House newsletter, Ruben Garcia said, ”It is a moment to recognize that borders are places of possibility, not places of crisis.”

Although under serious investigation, the Annunciation House is a staple in the El Paso community. 

With people volunteering there or sending their donations. 

Locals constantly came together to give what they could to the Annunciation House to help make a difference in their community. 

Now that this El Paso community staple is being put under scrutiny, the people are rallying behind it, speaking at a panel in favor of the Annunciation House. 

This display of solidarity shows how voices really matter and that we should always stand up for what’s right. 

When the AG’s office wanted to end a crucial part of the El Paso community, we saw the true strength of the city fighting for what it believes in.