Statement on the prosecution of Annunciation House in El Paso, Texas

The Ohio Province of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, March 6, 2024

The Ohio Province of The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur join the call of Bishop Mark Seitz in expressing our solidarity with Annunciation House in El Paso Texas, which is the target of prosecution by Texas State Attorney General, Ken Paxton. The US immigration system has been insufficient for decades and the US-Mexico border is chaotic at best. The US has failed to provide a safe system for those seeking asylum.

 

We remember Joseph, Mary and Jesus when, as a family, they were forced to flee to Egypt. Annunciation House has been supporting migrants and asylum seekers for almost 50 years. Seeking asylum is a human right protected by international law. Annunciation House is a community of faith-filled Christians who believe in living out the ministry of Hospitality to migrants. It has served as a way station to people granted legal asylum, to gather themselves before yet another journey to their sponsors in the US.

 

The Ohio Province of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur calls on Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to drop his recent lawsuit and attempts to close Annunciation House. We call the state government to end inhumane punishment of those who have provided WELCOME, as their Gospel values call them to do. Hospitality has been a part of the fabric of border town life for almost half a century. Migrants who have left everything in their home countries seek safety from violence and even death. They are our sisters and brothers.