US Department of Homeland Security has suspended funding to South Texas-based Catholic Charities due to widespread inaccuracies in migrant data submitted by the organization.
Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley was found to have submitted migrant intake data that was inconsistent, missing records and inaccurate billing. The agency alleged that at least 248 instances of billing occurred outside of the 45-day window allowed for migrants released from DHS custody.
According to documents obtained by Fox News Digital, investigators found significant problems in the nonprofit's spreadsheets, including error rates reaching as high as 42%. They also stressed that the Rio Grande chapter had violated the organization's own posted FY 2024 audit, which reported "material weaknesses" in internal controls over federal awards.
Pope Leo XIV recently praised Catholic Charities USA for decades of work with migrants and refugees. However, Sister Norma Pimentel, who leads the Rio Grande Valley branch, has been a vocal critic of efforts to cut funding, saying families forced to wait in Mexico suffer "tremendously".
The suspension applies only to this South Texas affiliate, not to Catholic Charities USA or any other chapters nationwide. The organization has 30 days to respond, submit documentation or request a meeting to argue it remains "presently responsible".
Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley was found to have submitted migrant intake data that was inconsistent, missing records and inaccurate billing. The agency alleged that at least 248 instances of billing occurred outside of the 45-day window allowed for migrants released from DHS custody.
According to documents obtained by Fox News Digital, investigators found significant problems in the nonprofit's spreadsheets, including error rates reaching as high as 42%. They also stressed that the Rio Grande chapter had violated the organization's own posted FY 2024 audit, which reported "material weaknesses" in internal controls over federal awards.
Pope Leo XIV recently praised Catholic Charities USA for decades of work with migrants and refugees. However, Sister Norma Pimentel, who leads the Rio Grande Valley branch, has been a vocal critic of efforts to cut funding, saying families forced to wait in Mexico suffer "tremendously".
The suspension applies only to this South Texas affiliate, not to Catholic Charities USA or any other chapters nationwide. The organization has 30 days to respond, submit documentation or request a meeting to argue it remains "presently responsible".
? It's not like they're just trying to make ends meet with the funding they get 
. And poor South Texas-based Catholic Charities getting the axe over some minor errors in their spreadsheets... 42% error rate? That's, like, a small typo in my online gaming stats 
. Can't believe Pope Leo XIV is praising them for decades of work, but Sister Norma Pimentel is all "boo hoo" about losing funding 
. Guess they'll just have to make do with the 1/3 of their funds being suspended 
. And who knows, maybe this will be a learning experience for them... or maybe they'll just use it as an excuse to raise more donations 
.
This is super worrying for me. I'm all for accountability, but cutting off funding to an org like Catholic Charities just because of some data errors seems harsh. Like, can't we try to address the issues instead of punishing them? 
can't these organizations even get their own data straight? Like, I'm all for helping out migrants and refugees, but if you're gonna mess up your own spreadsheets that badly, that's just not right. And to make matters worse, it sounds like they were violating their own audit standards too... 
and I started thinking about how some organizations are like cats when it comes to paperwork. They just can't seem to get it right, no matter how many times they try! Like, 42% error rate? That's crazy talk! 
like how can that even happen? and its not just a little mistake either, theyre talkin about error rates of 42% 
. i mean i know they said it only applies to one chapter but still its a big deal. and sister norma pimpentel is all up in arms saying these ppl are sufferin 
u gotta feel for her. what do u guys think? should they just get it together or shud the gov give them another chance?? 