In a notable legal victory for migrant assistance organizations, Hidalgo County Judge Bobby Flores has ruled that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton cannot question the executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley regarding the shelter's operations; this ruling arrives amidst Paxton's ongoing crusade against nonprofits that offer services to migrants, as reported by the Texas Tribune.
Efforts to shut down the McAllen migrant shelter by deposing its leader have been halted, and William Powell, the attorney for Catholic Charities, expressed his expectation that this decision would terminate the attorney general’s probe into the organization – Powell hoped Paxton's office realized Catholic Charities follows the law in every aspect of its work, according to a statement obtained by the Texas Tribune.
At the heart of Paxton's investigation was an accusation that Catholic Charities might be illegally harboring migrants or encouraging them to enter or remain in the country unlawfully; the nonprofit, dedicated to providing essentials like food and shelter to asylum seekers and others in need, has firmly denied these allegations, affirming its compliance with all applicable laws.
Earlier this month, an El Paso judge had rebuffed similar attempts by Paxton's office to shutter the migrant shelter network of Annunciation House, echoing the sentiment that state law was overruled by federal legislation, notably because under federal law, individuals have the right to seek asylum and while the Catholic Charities insisted that "The petition represents a fishing expedition into a pond where no one has even seen a fish," as their attorneys phrased it in the organization's response.
The Texas attorney general had sought documentation from Catholic Charities as early as April, to which the nonprofit responded by providing over 100 pages detailing their operational processes, staff training, and interactions with law enforcement—Sister Norma Pimentel, the executive director, also furnished a sworn statement addressing the organization's workings; nonetheless, Paxton's office remained unsatisfied, claiming the documents and Pimentel's statement didn't illuminate their operations substantially, despite Catholic Charities' transparency efforts.
