Attorney General Ken Paxton is cracking down on what he calls "systemic criminal conduct" by a border NGO in Texas. Paxton has filed for a Temporary Injunction against the Annunciation House, accusing the nonprofit of aiding illegal border crossings and hiding undocumented immigrants from law enforcement, according to a release from the Attorney General's office.

The legal action follows an earlier document request by an Office of the Attorney General (OAG), which Annunciation House contested with a lawsuit. Paxton claims that despite Annunciation House's sworn testimony, they continue to shelter illegals who have circumvented border patrol. The group is also accused of going so far as to dip into Mexico to assist those denied by border patrol, then concealing them within their shelters - an operation gleefully outlined on its website.

This contention is heating up as the OAG's investigation dug deeper into Annunciation House's operations. In a battle between state authority and an organization's right to religious freedom, Annunciation House claimed it was exempt from the OAG’s document request. However, under direct questioning, the executive director of Annunciation House conceded that producing documents wouldn’t actually burden his religious practice. The director's earlier defense was eroded even further when senior staff of the organization could not clearly define their religious practices, with answers that ranged from impractical to bizarre, such as adhering to "the seven commandments."

"Any NGO facilitating the unlawful entry of illegal aliens into Texas is undermining the rule of law and potentially jeopardizing the safety and wellbeing our citizens," Paxton warned. His stern message was a clear rebuke to organizations that he feels are complicit in exacerbating the immigration crisis under the current administration. Paxton's office is sending a stark notice to NGOs perceived to be colluding with illegal immigration efforts, signaling that their actions will not be tolerated.