Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of San Antonio has been targeted by critics who say it improperly used federal funds to buy airfare for undocumented immigrants to destinations in the United States. He accepts it and defends himself.
Two South Texas lawmakers on Thursday criticized a charity for using federal funds to buy airfare, saying the funds were used by nonprofit organizations rather than President Joe Biden’s free travel program for illegal aliens. It said it was aimed at reimbursing food, housing and humanitarian expenses.
Representative Henry Cuellar (Democratic) and Representative Monica de la Cruz (Republican) warned KETK-TV reported that the charity misused the funds.
Cuellar, ranking member of the House Appropriations and Homeland Security subcommittee, said the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Shelter and Services Program funds used by charities for airfare violate regulations. He argued that the money should only be used for “food and shelter, and perhaps local transportation” rather than long-distance travel.
Dela Cruz agreed, adding that the group’s spending amounts to a misappropriation of federal funds.
These taxes are not intended to be used to transport illegal immigrants across the country to their chosen destinations. They misused the funds and used taxpayers’ hard-earned money to funnel illegal immigrants to their desired destinations. This is completely unacceptable.
Catholic Charities of San Antonio admitted to the police department that it was allocated $10.8 million in funds to care for immigrants in the area and used the funds to purchase airline tickets for undocumented immigrants.
But Jose Antonio Fernandez, CEO of Catholic Charities of San Antonio, insists the airfare purchase was fully in line with the restrictions of the funding rules.
Fernandez Said Catholic News Service reported that the Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) FEMA grant awarded to his organization “specified that transportation could be provided.”
“This money was given to us to provide food, clothing and all these activities, including transportation,” Fernandes added.
“That’s not my interpretation. It’s a fact; many companies in the United States provide transportation because they are allowed to do so,” he argued. “If you contact FEMA, they will tell you that you are actually allowed to provide transportation.”
Still, Fernandez said his organization won’t be paying for flights for undocumented immigrants after December 2023 because it receives funding from another program that limits travel funding to 5% of the budget. He pointed out that there was no. This is a lower total expenditure than before.
He also said the new situation is creating problems in San Antonio because the city can’t afford to move undocumented people out of the city and the undocumented population is growing.
“Now more people are staying in San Antonio because they don’t have the funds to go elsewhere,” he exclaimed.
We feed them, we clothe them, we provide counseling services, and we provide financial assistance to those staying in San Antonio, including legal services and shelter services. We strive to provide all these comprehensive services to help your mind, body, and spirit.
San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond, who has been outspoken, recently pointed out that Biden is giving the county an additional $38 million to help pay for immigrant services, but that money is not being spent in the first place. They argue that it would be better used to stop immigrants from crossing the border illegally.
“San Diego County just received $38 million from the Biden administration to process migrants dropped on the streets,” he said in a post on X.
San Diego County just received $38 million from the Biden administration to process migrants dropped off on its streets.
Border Patrol is their Uber to San Diego County, and San Diego County becomes the migrants’ travel agent. Federal tax dollars are injected into the county’s… pic.twitter.com/H14gStuN0F
— Supervisor Jim Desmond (@jim_desmond) April 19, 2024
“Border Patrol will be their Uber to San Diego County, and San Diego County will be their travel agent for migrants,” Desmond added. “Using federal tax dollars, the county’s mission is to get as many immigrants as possible on planes, trains and cars to other parts of the country as quickly as possible.”
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