No Sanctuary For Stash Houses: Texas Court Backs Paxton's Border Crackdown
The Supreme Court of Texas overturned a lower court injunction that had halted Paxton's prosecution of Annunciation House, an El Paso nonprofit accused of illegally harboring undocumented immigrants.
'Today is a great victory for Texas, secure borders, and the rule of law,' Paxton said in a press release following the ruling. 'Annunciation House has flagrantly violated our laws by harboring illegal aliens and assisting them to enter further into our country.'
The case stems from a 2024 lawsuit filed by Paxton's office against the El Paso-based organization. The Attorney General alleges the group operates as a 'stash house' in violation of Texas Penal Code provisions.
Paxton's legal team built its case on what it describes as substantial public evidence and employee admissions. They argue that these revelations demonstrate systematic law violations by the nonprofit organization.
An El Paso County district judge initially granted Annunciation House's request for an injunction, effectively halting the state's legal action against the Catholic-affiliated aid group.
The state Supreme Court's decision addressed more than just procedural matters. Justices explicitly rejected claims that Paxton targeted the organization because of its religious connections.
The high court found 'no evidence to support' accusations of religious discrimination in the case. Justices also reminded the trial court to presume the Attorney General acted in 'good faith' and with 'legality.'
Paxton vowed to continue his enforcement efforts against similar organizations.
'I will do everything in my power to stop them and any other NGO breaking our laws,' he stated.
Amy Warr, an attorney for Annunciation House, argued before the Texas Supreme Court that the religious organization has not broken any laws and has never hidden immigrants from law enforcement officers. She claimed that Paxton's attack against the nongovernmental organization is just anti-immigration political rhetoric, the El Paso Times reported.
The ruling represents another chapter in ongoing tensions over immigration enforcement along the Texas-Mexico border. Humanitarian aid organizations are frequently caught between federal immigration policy and state-level prosecution efforts.
With the injunction lifted, the case returns to the trial court level. Annunciation House will face the underlying criminal allegations in proceedings that can now proceed.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


San Francisco Chronicle
an hour ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Lawyers from both sides of the aisle decry Trump attacks on judges at California conference
It's time for the legal community to speak up about the increasing threats to judges across the country, a diverse pair of legal scholars said Thursday at the conference of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. 'Lawyers have to stand up to this, stand up for judicial independence," said Paul Clement, who has argued for conservative causes and was the Justice Department's solicitor general under President George W. Bush. Erwin Chemerinsky, the law school dean at UC Berkeley who has argued cases in the Supreme Court in favor of racial diversity and other liberal causes, cited Republican calls to impeach judges who have ruled against President Donald Trump. 'Being a judge now is more important than it's ever been in American history,' Chemerinsky told the audience of hundreds of lawyers and judges at the court's conference in Monterey. 'This is a time when we need judicial courage. We need the lawyers to be courageous too.' And in a reference to Trump's apparent disregard of judges' orders to stop sending immigrants, some of them with legal status, to prisons in Latin America, Chemerinsky said, 'If any president can violate court orders, can lock any of us up, the word for that is dictatorship.' Clement, as a Justice Department lawyer, argued before the Supreme Court, unsuccessfully, to try to overturn President Barack Obama's national health insurance law, the Affordable Care Act, and in defense of a law banning federal benefits for same-sex married couples. As a private attorney, he was on the winning side of last year's ruling allowing judges to decide the meaning of contested federal regulations, overturning a 1984 decision that required courts to accept an agency's interpretation when the meaning of a law was unclear. 'I'm a big believer in executive power,' Clement told the conference. But 'if you have an administration that is trying to push the limits … you're in a period of extraordinary tension.' He criticized Trump's Justice Department for prosecuting a federal judge in Wisconsin who directed an undocumented immigrant to the back door of her courtroom when federal immigration agents were looking for him, and for recent statements by Attorney General Pam Bondi denouncing 'unelected' federal judges who have frustrated the administration's program. It's time to 'turn down the volume,' Clement said. They spoke three days after the latest Republican proposal to break up the 9th Circuit, the nation's largest federal appeals court. The court hears appeals of federal cases from California, eight other Western states and the territories of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. Its rulings are binding on federal judges in all of those states, including conservative dominions such as Idaho and Montana, and it has a 16-13 majority of judges appointed by Democratic presidents. The legislation by two Idaho Republicans, Sens. Mike Crapo and Jim Risch, would leave California, Hawaii and Guam in the 9th Circuit and create a new 12th Circuit court for the other states. It is the 60th such bill introduced since 1985, and would appear to have little chance of overcoming a Democratic filibuster in the Senate. The measure, Risch said in a statement, 'would split and modernize the 9th Circuit, allowing for more manageable caseloads and justice that aligns with the values of Idaho.'
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
TikTok Will ‘Go Dark' Soon if China Does Not Strike Deal, Commerce Secretary Says
Howard Lutnick says TikTok's algorithm must be sold for the popular app to remain active past Sept. 17 No more extensions. TikTok will 'go dark' if China does not cut a deal with the Trump administration that transfers control of the app's technology and algorithm, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said on Thursday. More from TheWrap TikTok Will 'Go Dark' Soon if China Does Not Strike Deal, Commerce Secretary Says Trump Says It Is 'Not Do-able' for AI Companies to Pay for All Copyrighted Content Used in Training Models YouTube Ad Revenue Up 13% Year-Over-Year in 2nd Quarter of 2025, Hitting $9.8 Billion Oracle in Talks With Paramount-Skydance for $100 Million Cloud Deal | Report Lutnick was discussing the ongoing TikTok negotiation during an appearance on CNBC's 'Squawk on the Street.' TikTok's parent company, Beijing-based ByteDance, is currently facing a Sept. 17 deadline to offload the app's American operation or face being banned in the States. 'We've made the decision: you can't have Chinese control and have something on 100 million American phones. That's just not okay,' Lutnick said. He continued: 'So if it's in American control, and, you know, China can have a little piece, or ByteDance, the current owner, can keep a little piece. But basically, Americans will have control. Americans will own the technology, and Americans will control the algorithm.' His comments come after TikTok has received multiple extensions from the president to reach a deal on selling its U.S. app. TikTok was initially set to be banned on Jan. 19, after President Joe Biden signed a law last year requiring ByteDance to sell TikTok's American operation. The chief concern lawmakers had was that TikTok could act as a stealth spyware app for China's communist government, as ByteDance is required by Chinese law to hand over any user data the government asks for. President Trump, on his first day back in office on Jan. 20, gave TikTok a 75-day extension to make a deal, and the app's future in the U.S. has remained in limbo ever since. The president gave TikTok a second extension in April, and then another one last month, making Sept. 17 the latest deadline. In late June, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Trump's 'main goal' is making sure TikTok remains available in the U.S. — 'while protecting [Americans'] privacy and security.' TikTok has said it has 170 million American users. On Thursday, Lutnick said TikTok is 'not really' part of a larger trade deal being discussed with China. But he also said it is hard for the topic to not come up 'unofficially' during discussions with Chinese diplomats. You can watch part of Lutnick's CNBC appearance by clicking here. The post TikTok Will 'Go Dark' Soon if China Does Not Strike Deal, Commerce Secretary Says appeared first on TheWrap.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Faraday Future Hosts Successful Capitol Hill Club Reception Showcasing Commitment to American Manufacturing and Innovation
WASHINGTON, July 24, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Faraday Future Intelligent Electric Inc. (NASDAQ: FFAI) ("Faraday Future", "FF" or the "Company"), a California-based global shared intelligent electric mobility ecosystem company, held a well-attended and impactful reception at the Capitol Hill Club this week, drawing over a dozen members of Congress and key stakeholders from across the policy and business landscape. The event served as a platform to highlight Faraday Future's ongoing efforts to bring advanced electric vehicle innovation and manufacturing jobs back to American soil. "We at Faraday Future have expressed our desire to play a role in the great American comeback we are seeing under this Administration, particularly as it relates to the automotive industry, which has been the bedrock of American industry for ages," said John Schilling, Global Director of Communications and Public Relations at Faraday Future. The event featured both FF's cutting-edge FF 91 2.0 electric supercar as well as its recently unveiled FX Super One MPV model. Attendees got a firsthand look at both products and experienced the technology, craftsmanship, and vision driving FF's expansion strategy. FF leadership, including FX CEO Max Ma, also met with staff at the White House earlier this week, which included an open dialogue on a number of policy topics such as tariffs, U.S. manufacturing and innovation. FF looks forward to continuing to work closely with the White House in the near future to promote the long-term prosperity of America's high-end manufacturing sector, centered around the automotive industry and its broader ecosystem. "We were extremely honored by the attendance of numerous members of Congress who were interested in both our vehicles, because who wouldn't be, but more importantly, our story about building and employing American," continued Schilling. "We're committed to expanding production here at home and look forward to working with Congress and the Trump Administration to help make that vision a reality." Faraday Future's leadership emphasized that the company is aligning with the current Administration's vision to reindustrialize America and revitalize core manufacturing sectors. With plans to increase domestic production and invest in U.S. jobs, Faraday is proud to be a part of a new chapter in American innovation. ABOUT FARADAY FUTURE Faraday Future is a California-based global shared intelligent electric mobility ecosystem company. Founded in 2014, the Company's mission is to disrupt the automotive industry by creating a user-centric, technology-first, and smart driving experience. Faraday Future's flagship model, the FF 91, exemplifies its vision for luxury, innovation, and performance. The FX strategy aims to introduce mass production models equipped with state-of-the-art luxury technology similar to the FF 91, targeting a broader market with middle-to-low price range offerings. FF is committed to redefining mobility through AI innovation. Join us in shaping the future of intelligent transportation. For more information, please visit FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS This press release includes "forward looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this press release, the words "plan to," "can," "will," "should," "future," "potential," and variations of these words or similar expressions (or the negative versions of such words or expressions) are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, conditions or results, and involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors, many of which are outside the Company's control, that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Important factors, among others, that may affect actual results or outcomes include, among others: the Company's ability to secure necessary agreements to license or produce FX vehicles in the U.S., the Middle East, or elsewhere, none of which have been secured; the Company's ability to homologate FX vehicles for sale in the U.S., the Middle East, or elsewhere; the Company's ability to secure the necessary funding to execute on its AI, EREV and Faraday X (FX) strategies, each of which will be substantial; the Company's ability to secure necessary permits at its Hanford, CA production facility; the Company's ability to secure regulatory approvals for the proposed Super One front grill; the potential impact of tariff policy; the Company's ability to continue as a going concern and improve its liquidity and financial position; the Company's ability to pay its outstanding obligations; the Company's ability to remediate its material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting and the risks related to the restatement of previously issued consolidated financial statements; the Company's limited operating history and the significant barriers to growth it faces; the Company's history of losses and expectation of continued losses; the success of the Company's payroll expense reduction plan; the Company's ability to execute on its plans to develop and market its vehicles and the timing of these development programs; the Company's estimates of the size of the markets for its vehicles and cost to bring those vehicles to market; the rate and degree of market acceptance of the Company's vehicles; the Company's ability to cover future warranty claims; the success of other competing manufacturers; the performance and security of the Company's vehicles; current and potential litigation involving the Company; the Company's ability to receive funds from, satisfy the conditions precedent of and close on the various financings described elsewhere by the Company; the result of future financing efforts, the failure of any of which could result in the Company seeking protection under the Bankruptcy Code; the Company's indebtedness; the Company's ability to cover future warranty claims; the Company's ability to use its "at-the-market" program; insurance coverage; general economic and market conditions impacting demand for the Company's products; potential negative impacts of a reverse stock split; potential cost, headcount and salary reduction actions may not be sufficient or may not achieve their expected results; circumstances outside of the Company's control, such as natural disasters, climate change, health epidemics and pandemics, terrorist attacks, and civil unrest; risks related to the Company's operations in China; the success of the Company's remedial measures taken in response to the Special Committee findings; the Company's dependence on its suppliers and contract manufacturer; the Company's ability to develop and protect its technologies; the Company's ability to protect against cybersecurity risks; and the ability of the Company to attract and retain employees, any adverse developments in existing legal proceedings or the initiation of new legal proceedings, and volatility of the Company's stock price. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in the "Risk Factors" section of the Company's Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 31, 2025, and other documents filed by the Company from time to time with the SEC. View source version on Contacts Investors (English): ir@ Investors (Chinese): cn-ir@ Media: