El Paso county leaders decided Monday to take the city of Socorro to court. The El Paso County attorney says she will file litigation to stop Socorro's annexation. San Elizario is also taking steps to preserve its own land. 

For weeks the town of San Elizario has fought Socorro's proposed annexation plan. The fact that it is incorporated, and doesn't have the same rights as a city, hasn't helped its cause. On Monday night, residents took the first steps to solve that issue, and protect the place they consider home.

"They did decide to move forward with the lawsuit against Socorro," San Elizario resident Maya Sanchez said.

The residents of San Elizario are excited about El Paso County commissioner's decision. The county attorney says she will file litigation, which will stop Socorro's annexation plan, including land in the town of San Elizario.

"The only thing that will prevent this from happening in the future is incorporation. We're hoping to do that as quickly as possible, so we need to move quickly," Sanchez said.

Sanchez and her father have history in San Elizario.

"My grandfather came to this community in the early 1900s," Sanchez said.

Her father Ben says pride in the community is something he hopes will pass down through the generations.

"That's the same sentiment that they want to share with the outside world, that they want to remain in San Elizario. They want to stay here and remain San Elizario," said San Elizario resident Ben Sanchez.

The residents of San Elizario gathered at a meeting on Monday night to discuss plans to start the process. A land surveyor is figuring out how big they want the city. There are three plans. Two plans would make the city about 5 square miles, with more than 200 people living in the city limits. If there are fewer than 2,000 citizens in the community, the city limits would shrink to only 2 square miles.

"We're hoping to form what will be a basis of a committee so work will be spread across the board," Maya Sanchez said.

The town is also hoping to get nonprofit certification, so it can raise enough money to pay for the rest of the process.

"We're willing to do the work, because we are fighting to save our homes," said Sanchez.

The county attorney says she doesn't know when she will file the litigation to stop the annexation, but the citizens of San Elizario are hopeful it will time enough for them to become a city.