EL PASO, TEXAS— This morning, in the 205th Judicial District Court of El Paso County, Judge Francisco X Dominguez accepted new evidence and heard arguments from both parties on all the pleadings filed regarding Annunciation House and the OAG.

“Annunciation House does not believe it violates the law in any way, shape, or form,” stressed TRLA Attorney Jerome Wesevich after today’s hearing. “The Attorney General should be able to investigate all he wants and will not be able to find anything.”

Attorney Wesevich explains the Texas legislature has implemented guardrails on what type of investigations the AG should and can engage in. These are set forth to protect both for-profit and non-profit Texas businesses. In this case, the Annunciation House insists that the OAG follow the law when conducting its investigation and not violate the First and Fourth Amendments.

In an ending statement, Attorney Wesevich states, “The El Paso community, not just Annunciation House, the entire El Paso community, has responded year after year to the crisis at the border with generosity, kindness, and faithfulness to gospel values.”

As the hearing concluded, Judge Dominguez did not rule on the case and is expected to make a judgment within the next two weeks of this hearing.

To watch the hearing recording, please view it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmM-y21R8rc .  

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For media inquiries, please contact: 

Sam Rucobo, Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, Public Relations Manager, srucobo@trla.org  

Texas RioGrande Legal Aid provides free legal services to people who cannot afford an attorney in 68 southwestern counties, including the entire Texas-Mexico border. TRLA attorneys specialize in more than 45 areas of law, including disaster assistance, family, employment, landlord-tenant, housing, education, immigration, farmworker, and civil rights. Our hotline is open from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (CST) Monday - Friday: (956)-996-TRLA (8752) or toll-free at (833) 329-TRLA (8752).