Judge's order shields Catholic Charities from deposition as Texas investigates border aid groups

McALLEN, Texas -- A judge on Wednesday rejected Texas' attempts to compel a deposition from one of the largest migrant shelters on the U.S.-Mexico border, dealing a new legal setback to a widening Republican-led investigation into migrant aid groups.

The ruling by state District Judge J.R. Flores does not stop the state's investigation into Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, which provides temporary housing for as many as 2,000 women and children when border crossings are at their highest. The border nonprofit is among several targeted by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton over claims that aid groups are helping migrants enter the U.S. illegally.

Catholic Charities and other organizations have denied the accusations, saying the state has produced no evidence.

The one-paragraph order by Flores shields leaders of Catholic Charities from a deposition and is the second time in recent weeks that a Texas court has pushed back on the state's investigation into migrant aid groups. Earlier this month, a separate judge in El Paso rejected the state's efforts to close a shelter in a scathing order that accused the state of harassment.

“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 Sister Norma Pimentel, executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley.

Paxton's office did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment Wednesday.

Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley is a member organization of Catholic Charities USA but it is a separate nonprofit within the Diocese of Brownsville.

The group opened a shelter for migrants in 2017 that typically receives about 1,000 people a week, most of whom stay only a few days.

In court filings, Catholic Charities said it provided over 100 pages of documents in response to questions from the state in late March about its policies and operations. Paxton's office then pushed for a deposition of a member who would have direct knowledge of the organization’s operating procedures.

Attorneys for the state argued that a deposition could help them determine whether to sue Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley or stop their investigation.

Texas launched the investigations into migrant aid groups after Republican Gov. Greg Abbott sent a letter to Paxton in 2022 that suggested, without citing evidence, that border organizations could be helping migrants enter the country illegally.