According to the Border Report, the nonprofit organization is suspected of misusing federal taxpayer funds by purchasing airline tickets for undocumented immigrants.
U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) announced that Catholic Charities of San Antonio has awarded funds to the organization through the FEMA Shelter Services program, which is designed to reimburse nonprofits for housing-related expenses for immigrants. He accused the company of misusing the funds.
Cuellar insisted that the program he helped start was never about air travel. Instead, this funding is intended to cover food, housing, and other humanitarian costs.
He noted that the program allocates a “certain percentage” of funding to transportation costs, but is intended to provide immigrants with free rides in their neighborhoods. He argued that transportation funds should only be used in emergencies or within the city.
Free flights are attracting more immigrants to the San Antonio area, Cuellar argued. When he spoke with the Laredo-based nonprofit Holding Institute, representatives there said immigrants want to come to San Antonio because “they pay for transportation,” he said. told Border Report.
“And they say ‘Queremos il al San Pedro’ and that is the street where the immigration center is located. And people call it the place of milk and honey,” he added. “When we first started this program, I said this program would only be used for food and shelter and maybe transportation within the city, but we weren’t going to send them there. The taxpayers weren’t going to pay for it. Your family or someone else should pay for it.”
Rep. Monica de la Cruz (R-Texas) called this a misappropriation of taxpayer money.
“These taxes are not intended to be used to transport illegal immigrants across the country to their chosen destinations,” Delacruz told Border Report. “They misused funds and used taxpayers’ hard-earned money to send illegal immigrants to their desired destinations. This is completely unacceptable.”
Catholic Charities of San Antonio did not respond to Border Report’s request for comment.
The organization will receive an additional $10.8 million in funding through the MRS Centro de Bienvenida Temporary Shelter program, which provides humanitarian assistance to migrants. The organization says the facility provides “safety, food, hygiene kits and blankets to those in need.”
The nonprofit said the additional funds will be used to provide “newcomers” with “housing, food and clothing.”
“In addition to meeting basic needs, Catholic Charities provides comprehensive support to people who may have experienced trauma, including trauma-informed care, mental health counseling, legal assistance, and pastoral care.” “Catholic Charities is committed to serving the most vulnerable among us with love, dignity and respect.”
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