Texas
Pope Francis calls Texas AG Ken Paxton’s attacks on El Paso’s Annunciation House ‘madness’
Aerial view of concertina wire along US-Mexico border in El Paso
Gov. Greg Abbott’s “Operation Lonestar” involves concertina wire along the U.S.-Mexico border in El Paso, Texas, aiming to deter migrant entry.
The Texas attorney general’s attack on El Paso’s Annunciation House is “madness,” Pope Francis said during a “60 Minutes” interview.
Pope Francis was asked specifically during a May 19 interview with CBS “60 Minutes” reporter Norah O’Donnell about Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filing a lawsuit against the El Paso Catholic nonprofit organization, whose goals are to help immigrants seeking asylum.
“That is madness, sheer madness,” Pope Francis said. “To close the border and leave them there, that is madness. The migrant has to be received. Thereafter, you see how you’re going to deal with them. Maybe you have to send them back. I don’t know. But each case ought to be considered humanely.”
Archives: A look back at Pope Francis’ visit to Juarez
The Pope’s comments come after Paxton filed a lawsuit demanding the Annunciation House be shut down. Paxton claimed the nonprofit organization is a “stash house” protecting migrants illegally in the U.S.
Texas Attorney General’s Office officials could not be reached for comment.
More: Texas AG Ken Paxton’s moves to have El Paso’s Annunciation House closed temporarily
The Annunciation House has offered hospitality to migrants and refugees in El Paso for decades. The volunteer organization has played a critical role in helping migrants released by Border Patrol officials who are seeking asylum in the U.S. or other forms of immigration relief.
Annunciation House director Ruben Garcia said it was “gratifying” to hear Pope Francis speak about the importance of organizations such as the Annunciation House to provide humane services to migrants fleeing their country and asking for help.
“The Pope responded ‘that’s crazy,’” Garcia said. “It is gratifying to me that what the Pope is emphasizing is not only the relationship Annunciation House has, but really in the face of refugees all over the world that are fleeing their countries because they’re afraid or they can’t sustain their families and they’re crossing borders all over the world. It is crazy that organizations, NGOs, churches are trying to do the humanitarian work of receiving and providing the basic human needs to people, and that somebody would want to stop that. That is just crazy.”
Paxton’s mission of shutting down the Annunciation House began in February when he sent three lawyers to the Annunciation House demanding the nonprofit turn over the documents. The documents included names, dates of births, medical history, medications needed by the migrants, and the names of the migrants’ family members.
Annunciation House officials declined to release the documents and filed a lawsuit seeking a judge’s ruling on what documents the nonprofit must legally release.
More: Judge: Texas AG’s office acted “unprofessionally” in request for Annunciation House records
Paxton responded by filing a counter lawsuit claiming the Annunciation House is a “stash house” protecting migrants illegally in the U.S.
The lawsuits remain pending with a hearing a expected to be held in June, Garcia said.
For Garcia, the Pope’s comments show the work being done by Annunciation House, and other nonprofits across the global, is the morally right actions to address mass migration crisis. Garcia enjoys the support of a powerful world leader.
More: El Paso leaders blast Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton lawsuit against Annunciation House
“It’s affirming,” Garcia said. “It’s affirming for me. It’s affirming for many other people who work tirelessly, who get up everyday to make sure that meals are prepared, that cots have sheets, that care packages put together, that travel plans are made, that the door is opened. It’s very affirming. The Pope is obviously a very powerful voice when it comes to the moral issues facing our world and to know that he’s got your back is truly gratifying.”
Aaron Martinez may be reached at amartinez1@elpasotimes.com or on Twitter @AMartinezEPT.
Saturday started out a bit warm and sticky outside in North Texas, but there will be plenty of sunshine in the afternoon. Temperatures are expected to climb into the upper 80s. Most of the area will stay dry today, but there is a chance for an isolated storm that could reach severe criteria late tonight for counties to the northwest of the metroplex.
Make sure you have an indoor plan for Mother’s Day celebrations tomorrow! Sunday morning will start warm, muggy, and dry for most with the exception of an isolated storm possible along the Red River.
A First Alert Weather Day is in place on Sunday due to a front that will swing across North Texas in the late afternoon through the evening. All modes of severe weather will be likely, but the main threat includes a significant risk of hail up to 2 inches in diameter and winds up to category 1 hurricane strength.
Once the front moves through, cooler temperatures will settle into the forecast on Monday. However, the cool down won’t last long. A warming trend returns and temperatures climb into the 90’s once again at the end of the next week. Stay tuned!
Just days before Mother’s Day, a North Texas father is grieving the sudden loss of his wife and unborn son after she died unexpectedly, only days before her due date. Avi Carey said he is still in shock over the death of his wife, Tiffany, whom he described as his “rock” and “soulmate.”
“Tiffany’s smile, her radiance, her presence … she didn’t meet a stranger,” Carey said.
Nearly two decades together
The couple had been together for nearly two decades, raising two children, Kingston and Kasyn, and preparing to welcome their third child, a baby boy they planned to name Kylo.
Carey said Tiffany began complaining of a severe headache just days before she was due to give birth. He recalled her sitting on the couch, dozing off multiple times – something he said was unusual.
A short time later, Carey found her unresponsive.
“I saw her face … her lips were blue. And I already knew,” he said with tears in his eyes.
A celebration turned to heartbreak
Tiffany Carey and her unborn son died May 2, leaving behind a grieving husband and two children. The loss came less than a week after the family had celebrated a baby shower.
“We went from celebrating the baby shower to planning a funeral in less than five days,” Carey said.
A crisis affecting Black mothers
Health officials say cases like this highlight a broader crisis. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black women in the United States are more than three times as likely as white women to die from pregnancy‑related causes, and most of those deaths – around 80% – are considered preventable.
Carey said he is still searching for answers and now lives with questions about whether warning signs were missed.
“I would say educate yourself. Take everything seriously,” he said. “That should have been a red flag … the headache.”
Honoring Tiffany’s legacy
Now, surrounded by baby supplies meant for a child who never arrived, Carey said he is focused on honoring Tiffany’s memory and raising their children with the values she lived by.
“She always said, ‘You’ve got to lead with love,’” he said. “She did that in everything.”
Trump administration to release UFO files soon, president says
President Trump said his administration plans to release information and materials relating to UFOs.
Ever look up at the vast Texas sky and see something move across it? It could be a shooting star, a satellite — or a UFO.
The Pentagon released several documents Friday, May 8, detailing sightings of unidentified flying objects, or “bogeys,” in U.S. airspace, including reports from Texas.
The documents were released by the U.S. Department of Defense at the directive of President Donald Trump, marking the release of government files related to “alien and extraterrestrial life, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP)” and UFOs.
“These files, hidden behind classifications, have long fueled justified speculation — and it’s time the American people see it for themselves. This release of declassified documents demonstrates the Trump Administration’s earnest commitment to unprecedented transparency,” said U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth in a statement.
Here’s a look at the files related to Texas.
UFO spotted in 1948 above Abilene, Texas
A DoD incident summary shows that on Jan. 1, 1948, a man identified as “Mr. A. Schroeder” reported a UFO in the 1100 block of Highland Ave in Abilene, Texas.
Schroeder reported seeing a stationary bright blue-green bell-shaped object in the western sky above Abilene at 1:25 a.m. and 1:30 a.m.
Fort Worth man sees UFO above Alaska
Also in 1948, Lt. Aytch Johnson noticed a silver flat disk in the sky in Fairbanks, Alaska.
According to the incident report, the Fort Worth man observed the object flying over Alaska at around 1:06 p.m. on April 18, 1948, at an estimated speed of 250 to 300 miles per hour.
The report also noted that the sighting “may have been the reflection of sun from wings” of aircrafts flying in the area at the time.
Possible UFO sighting during the NASA Gemini 7 space launch
The DoD released the transcript and audio file of NASA’s Gemini 7 mission in 1965 when astronaut Frank Borman reported to NASA mission control in Houston his sighting of an unidentified object, which he referred to as a “bogey.”
While the launch didn’t take place in Texas, the report came back to space control in Houston.
The conversation occurred on Dec. 5, 1965 — 4 hours and 24 minutes into the flight — when Borman notified space control that there was a “bogey” on their left-hand side.
When asked to clarify what they are seeing, Borman said he was seeing “hundreds of little particles” on their left, about three to four miles away.
As NASA Public Affairs clarified, the bogey was an unidentified object, along with the particles.
Pentagon documents report of other possible sightings in Texas
Some documents have connections or reports of possible UFO sightings in Texas, but are missing details to understand the situation.
For example, the DoD received a clipping from the Yoakum Times-Record reporting UFO sightings by Mrs. Anna Banys in 1947, but it is unclear why she was writing to the DoD.
This is a developing story. Check back for more updates.
Mateo Rosiles is the Texas Connect reporter for USA TODAY and its regional papers in Texas. Got a news tip for him? Email him at mrosiles@usatodayco.com.
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