Another Paxton attack on migrant ministries in El Paso stopped by a judge

Jeff Brumley, Baptist News, July 29, 2024

"Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s investigation of faith-based migrant shelters suffered another blow when a state judge exempted a Catholic Charities director from having to give a deposition. Paxton sought to question Sister Norma Pimentel, executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, in his probe into the organization’s shelter operations accommodating about 1,000 migrants a week. District Judge J.R. “Bobby” Flores denied the state’s petition in a July 24 order. “We hope that we can put this behind us and focus our efforts on protecting and upholding the sanctity and dignity of all human lives while following the law,” said Pimentel, named one of TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2020 for her work with migrants. The ruling was the second setback in less than a month for Paxton and his claims shelter ministries are nothing more than illegal migrant smuggling operations. On July 1, District Judge Francisco Dominguez denied the state’s attempt to close Annunciation House, a Catholic shelter in El Paso Paxton accused of being an “illegal stash house” for migrants sneaking into the country. Dominguez ruled Paxton’s demand for Annunciation documents a violation of the U.S. Constitution’s prohibition against unreasonable search and seizure. He also admonished the use of intimidation tactics against the ministry."