Trump administration freezes federal funding for South Texas migrant shelter

[pnwmom]

Source: Texas Tribune

The Trump administration is pulling federal funding from Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, which operates a McAllen migrant shelter.

The South Texas charity is part of Catholic Charities USA and is a branch of the Diocese of Brownsville. Its executive director, Sister Norma Pimentel, has become known globally for her advocacy work for migrants.

Pimentel, who founded the migrant shelter in 2014 and has run it since, was considered one of Time Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People of 2020” and received a medallion of excellence from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute in 2023. During Pope Frances’ reign, she was considered the “Pope’s Favorite Nun.”

But as of last month, the organization has been barred from receiving federal funds for six years, according to documents the government shared with Fox News, after the Department of Homeland Security said an investigation found multiple grant violations, such as inconsistent records on migrants.

Read more: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/12/12/texas-catholic-charities-rio-grande-valley-federal-funding-freeze/

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Catholic Charities statement says that all funding received by the org was used to care for migrants brought to them by Border Patrol with travel documents.

https://catholiccharitiesrgv.org/elementor_librarydefault-single-post-design/

[SunSeeker]

1. How is barring federal funds legal? I hope the shelter sues.

[cstanleytech]

2. Is there a Constitutional requirement that the government has to fund it?

[SunSeeker]

3. Yes. There is a constitutional requirement that Congress controls the pursestrings, not the president.

Please read Article I of the US Constitution.

And there's the Due Process Clause, found in both the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments, which protects individuals from being deprived of "life, liberty, or property" without fair procedures. The Fifth Amendment applies to the federal government, while the Fourteenth Amendment applies to states. The clause requires the government to follow certain procedures before depriving someone of a protected interest. Trump followed no procedures, nor gave the shelter a chance to challenge his cessation of their Congressionally mandated funding.

42 U.S.C. § 1983 is a U.S. federal law allowing individuals to sue state and local government officials for violating their constitutional or federal rights, creating a civil action for "deprivation of rights" when someone acts "under color of state law."  It serves as a key tool for addressing civil rights abuses, like police misconduct, excessive force, or unlawful searches, by enabling citizens to seek legal remedies (like damages) from officials who deprive them of federally protected rights. 

[cstanleytech]

4. That's just the power of that they can choose on what to spend it on.

Plus this isn't a government agency but a 3rd party so forcing them has as much chance as forcing the government to pay for private schooling if it doesn't want to.

As for Trump's actions in it though that's a different thing entirely that can be challenged but I'm not sure if six of the judges will go against Trump on SCOTUS.

[SunSeeker]

5. The president can't "choose" where to spend money Congress allocated to a specific entity.

Plus, it appears this nonprofit had a contract. Regardless, the shelter was denied due process in being arbitrarily denied funds for a service it was performing for the government and being barred from future funds for those services. The nonprofit has a right to due process like anyone else and can sue under 42 USC 1983 for damages.

Yes, we have a lawless SCOTUS conservative majority. That doesn't mean the shelter can't sue. Do not obey in advance. And don't tell others to obey in advance.