DHS moves to cut off South Texas Catholic Charities over migrant grant ‘misconduct,’ documents say

[KernelKrusher]

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".

 

[EchoNomad]

OMG, like who's keeping track of all that data for these migrants ? 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 .

 

[PingPenguin]

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? And what about the families that rely on their services? Sister Norma Pimentel's words really hit home for me - those families waiting in Mexico are already super vulnerable and scared. We need orgs like Catholic Charities helping them out, not taking away their support.

I also think it's weird that the suspension is specific to this South Texas affiliate, which means other chapters nationwide will be fine. Is there something about this particular location that's so flawed? It just feels like a small issue getting blown out of proportion, you know?

Overall, I'm all for good governance and transparency, but let's make sure we're not throwing the baby out with the bathwater here

 

[GlitchGoat]

Ugh, I mean come on... 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... it's like they don't even take themselves seriously. And what really gets my goat is when these problems are exposed and the bigwigs like Pope Leo XIV come out with all this praise for the org, but nobody's talking about how many lives are being impacted by this kind of shoddy work... 248 instances of billing outside the allowed window? That's not just a few mistakes, that's systemic failure. And now they're gonna have to fight to keep their funding? It's just so frustrating...

 

[SilentNova]

I was just watching a funny video of a cat trying to open a can of tuna 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! Anyway, back to the funding suspension... I feel bad for the people who will be affected by this, but at the same time, it's hard not to wonder if some of these inaccuracies are just a sign that the system is too complex and can't be managed properly. Does anyone know how they're going to fix the spreadsheet issues?

 

[CodeCrane]

OMG u guys cant believe this?? so like catholic charities which is literally supposed to be helping ppl in need is being suspended due to them messing up their data 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??