McAllen, Texas — Attorney General of Texas Ken Paxton has asked for a hearing to question another non-government group that helps migrants in South Texas.
Team Brownsville is the third NGO that Paxton has gone after in court to get information.
Paxton says the NGOs are helping migrants at the border without permission, and he wants them to testify so that the office can gather proof for possible cases against the NGOs. His office says the groups might be illegally bringing people into the United States.
He has tried, but so far, it hasn’t worked.
One case that Paxton tried to sue and shut down was thrown out by an El Paso judge earlier this month. Paxton was trying to shut down the El Paso-based Annunciation House, which runs a network of migrant homes. Paxton said on July 15 that he will fight the decision to throw out his lawsuit.
In the State of Texas review, the judge rules in favor of Catholic Charities RGV.
A judge in Hidalgo County said on Wednesday that Paxton does not have the power to demand that leaders of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley (CCRGV) appear in court for a sworn statement.
Over 500,000 refugees have been helped by CCRGV since 2014, and the group runs a shelter in McAllen, Texas. Sister Norma Pimentel, who runs the group, is well-known all over the world and is close to Pope Francis.
The most recent NGO that Paxton has gone after is Team Brownsville Inc., a group that has been helping migrants in Brownsville, Texas who federal border officials officially free for years. Team Brownsville also brings food and other goods to people waiting for asylum in Matamoros, Mexico, south of the border, who are in camps and shelters.
Along with the other teams, Team Brownsville is fighting against Paxton’s office, which wants to depose its leaders to get information for a possible case.
Border Report got copies of court papers that show Paxton asked for a hearing on the nonprofit’s Rule 202 petition to take a deposition on September 16 in Austin, Texas.
And yet, the nonprofit Texas Civil Rights Project, which is defending Team Brownsville, told Border Report on Thursday that they have not agreed to the hearing date. A judge has to set the date and give his or her approval.
The request for a hearing was sent on the same day that Paxton lost his case to fire Pimentel.
The GOP attorney general says he has good reason to ask the NGOs about their rules and the money they get to help people seeking asylum.
