The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur U.S. East-West Province express our solidarity with Annunciation House in El Paso, Texas, and echo the call of the Most Rev. Mark J. Seitz, Bishop of El Paso, to both “vigorously defend the freedom of people of faith and goodwill to put deeply held religious convictions into practice,” and to refuse to “be intimidated in our work to serve Jesus Christ in our sisters and brothers fleeing danger and seeking to keep their families together.”
Annunciation House has supported migrants and asylum seekers for nearly 50 years. It serves as a waystation, providing food, clothing and up to three nights of shelter to migrants released from detention while they make connections and arrangements with their U.S. sponsors. It has now become the target of prosecution by the Texas Attorney General, Ken Paxton, claiming that the organization has “engaged in the business of human smuggling” and “encouraging immigrants to enter the country illegally because it provides education on legal services.”
We continue to heed the Gospel mandate to welcome the stranger and advocate for an immigration system that provides a safe process for those seeking asylum. We call on the Texas Attorney General to drop the lawsuit against Annunciation House and decry the alarmist rhetoric threatening the safety of volunteers seeking to serve our vulnerable brothers and sisters.
The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur U.S. East-West Leadership Team
