Catholic Charities Faces Scrutiny Over Federal Funds
A well-known charity that helps migrants in South Texas, Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, is in trouble with the federal government. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has stopped giving them federal money and might ban them for six years.
DHS says the charity made mistakes with how it kept track of the people it helped. They couldn’t be sure if the people the charity said they helped were even in the government’s records.
The government also says the charity asked to be paid for services provided to migrants outside the allowed time frame.
Federal rules say charities can only get money for helping migrants within 45 days of their release from government custody. The government says Catholic Charities asked to be paid for services given after that 45-day window.
The charity has a chance to respond to these claims. If they don’t, the six-year ban could start. This would mean they couldn’t get most federal funding.
Some people have questioned whether these charities are truly helping or if they are encouraging people to come here illegally.
