Texas sues to stop NGO aiding in human smuggling at US-Mexico border
Katie Daviscourt Seattle WA Feb 21, 2024 thepostmillenial.com
The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) claims that Annunciation House has "engaged in legal violations such as facilitating illegal entry to the United States, alien harboring, human smuggling, and operating a stash house."
On Tuesday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) announced that he is suing to
end the operations of a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) in the state of Texas. Paxton
claims that these taxpayer-funded organizations facilitate human smuggling and
worsen illegal immigration.
"Today, I'm suing to end NGO's operations in Texas. The chaos at the
southern border has created an environment where NGOs, funded with taxpayer
money from the Biden Administration, facilitate astonishing horrors including
human smuggling," Paxton wrote on X. "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."
In a press release, Paxton's Office said that they
have sued to revoke the operating registration for Annunciation House, which is
a Catholic NGO.
The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) claims in the lawsuit that Annunciation House has
"engaged in legal violations such as facilitating illegal entry to the
United States, alien harboring, human smuggling, and operating a stash
house."
Paxton's Office said that they filed the suit after reviewing significant
public record information that backs their claims.
The OAG claims that they demanded access to certain specified records to
evaluate potential legal violations but Annunciation House failed to comply
with their request.
In response to the request, Annunciation House sued the OAG to prevent the
Attorney General from obtaining the requested documents.
The OAG said that due to the NGO's "flagrant failure to comply," the
Office 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."
Annunciation House began operating as a Catholic nonprofit in Texas in the
1980s.
The organization describes itself as a volunteer organization that "offers
hospitality to migrants, immigrants, and refugees in El Paso, Texas."
"Rooted in Catholic social teaching, the volunteers of Annunciation House
live simply and in community, in the same houses as the guests we serve, who
are mostly from Mexico and Central America," the organization's website states. "We also participate
in advocacy and education around immigration issues. We seek to be a voice for
justice and compassion, especially on behalf of the most marginalized of our
society."
Annunciation House called Paxton's lawsuit "shameful" and said in a
statement to Fox News: "This is no different
from the work of schools who enroll migrant children, the clinics and hospitals
who care for the needs of their ill, the churches, synagogues, and mosques who
welcome their families to join in worship."
"For the Attorney General to suddenly attack Annunciation House after
forty-six years of service to the poor is simply shameful," the nonprofit
said.
The legal battle comes amid a historic border crisis that has greatly impacted
the state of Texas. Over the past few years, Texas has fought to increase broader border security
measures, while the federal government has fought to keep the US-Southern border
open, embracing the role of NGOs and providing them with millions of dollars in
taxpayer funds that aid illegal immigration.
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