Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s investigation of faith-based migrant shelters suffered another blow when a state judge exempted a Catholic Charities director from having to give a deposition.
J.R. “Bobby” Flores
Paxton sought to question Sister Norma Pimentel, executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, in his probe into the organization’s shelter operations accommodating about 1,000 migrants a week. District Judge J.R. “Bobby” Flores denied the state’s petition in a July 24 order.
“We hope that we can put this behind us and focus our efforts on protecting and upholding the sanctity and dignity of all human lives while following the law,” said Pimentel, named one of TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2020 for her work with migrants.
The ruling was the second setback in less than a month for Paxton and his claims shelter ministries are nothing more than illegal migrant smuggling operations. On July 1, District Judge Francisco Dominguez denied the state’s attempt to close Annunciation House, a Catholic shelter in El Paso Paxton accused of being an “illegal stash house” for migrants sneaking into the country.
Francisco Dominguez
Dominguez ruled Paxton’s demand for Annunciation documents a violation of the U.S. Constitution’s prohibition against unreasonable search and seizure. He also admonished the use of intimidation tactics against the ministry.
“The record before this court makes clear that the Texas attorney general’s use of the request to examine documents from Annunciation House was a pretext to justify its harassment of Annunciation House employees and those seeking refuge,” wrote Dominguez, who also blocked Paxton’s attempt to revoke the ministry’s shelter license in March.
Paxton’s anti-shelter campaign is part of Operation Lone Star, Gov. Greg Abbott’s sweeping anti-immigration agenda that includes border wall construction, allowing state law enforcement to arrest and deport migrants and the use of Texas and other red-state National Guard troops to patrol the U.S.-Mexico border — all moves that violate the federal government’s sole responsibility for managing immigration.
Norma Pimentel
As of July 19, the operation has resulted in more than 516,000 apprehensions and the transportation of nearly 120,000 migrants to blue-state cities like Los Angeles, Denver, New York and Chicago, the governor’s office claims.
In a December 2022 letter to Paxton, Abbott raised suspicions about the work of ministries and other nonprofits assisting migrants and pushed for legal remedies to stop them.
“There have been recent reports that non-governmental organizations may have assisted with illegal border crossings near El Paso,” Abbott wrote. “We further understand NGOs may be engaged in unlawfully orchestrating other border crossings through activities on both sides of the border, including in sectors other than El Paso.”
Abbott concluded by “calling on the Texas attorney general’s office to initiate an investigation into the role of NGOs in planning and facilitating the illegal transportation of illegal immigrants across our borders. In addition, I stand ready to work with you to craft any sensible legislative solutions your office may propose that are aimed at solving the ongoing border crisis and the role that NGOs may play in encouraging it.”
Lance Gooden
Texas Republican Congressman Lance Gooden accused Catholic Charities USA in 2022 of “aiding and abetting” illegal immigrants: “I am troubled by the growing role NGOs have in fueling the drastic increase in illegal immigration across our southern border and throughout the country.”
As Paxton did with Annunciation House and Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande, Gooden demanded documentation about all the agency’s operations involving the care of migrants. “It is irresponsible for Catholic Charities (USA) to fuel illegal immigration by encouraging, transporting and harboring aliens to come to, enter or reside in the United States,” he declared.
Catholic extremists also are adding fuel to the accusations against immigration ministries, The Texas Tribune reported. “Far-right Catholics have mobilized against groups such as Catholic Charities, branding it an ‘enemy of the people’ and calling for the defunding of bishops who assist migrants.”
Some of those traditionalist Catholic groups have ties to GOP vice presidential nominee JD Vance as well as NFL star Harrison Butker.
In addition, Paxton is a frequent participant in legal action with the Republican Attorneys General Association, “which has received millions in donations from the Concord Fund, a dark money fund linked to conservative Catholic legal activist Leonard Leo,” according to a National Catholic Reporter article.
“The targeting of this faith-based agency and broader attacks on the Catholic Church should deeply concern Catholics, religious liberty advocates and all people of good will,” Catholic Charities President Kerry Alys Robinson said in a Religion News Service report.
Pimentel summed up the frustration in a 2021 statement issued after immigration opponents staged a video to mischaracterize the operations of one of her system’s shelters.
“The Humanitarian Respite Center and Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley are not involved in any human smuggling or trafficking networks, but instead have worked tirelessly with Presidents Obama, Trump and Biden and their administrations as well as with local elected leaders to ensure that all asylum-seeking and citizen families alike are treated with human dignity and given clean clothes, food and a moment of rest at the Humanitarian Respite Center.”
Related articles:
State judge blocks Paxton’s quest to ‘run roughshod’ over El Paso migrant ministry
Texas attorney general sets off religious liberty alarms by attacking a Catholic charity in El Paso
Pope Francis calls Ken Paxton’s attack on Annunciation House ‘sheer madness,’ and Texas judge agrees
Paxton is attacking religious freedom, Catholic attorney warns
Ken and Angela Paxton do a little sidestep — while quoting Bible verses | Opinion by Rodney Kennedy