Judge issues ruling that protects a migrant shelter that Texas sought to close

McALLEN, Texas (AP) — A Texas judge ruled against the state attorney general on Tuesday in his effort to shut down a migrant shelter in El Paso that he claimed encourages illegal migration.

Judge Francisco X. Dominguez in El Paso ruled that Attorney General Ken Paxton’s attempts to enforce a subpoena for records of migrants served at the Annunciation House violated the constitutional rights of the shelter.

State officials visited Annunciation House in early February demanding immediate access to review records — including medical and immigration documents — of migrants who received services at the shelter since 2022. They gave the shelter a one-day deadline.

Officials from Annunciation House, which oversees a network of shelters, said they were willing to comply but needed time to determine what they could legally share without violating their clients’ constitutional rights.

Valerie Gonzalez, The Associated Press