Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, a South Texas nonprofit long associated with migrant shelter and led by Sister Norma Pimentel, now faces a potential six-year debarment from federal funds following a Department of Homeland Security investigation. The internal DHS documents, shared exclusively with Fox News Digital, reveal that the organization has been accused of submitting inconsistent migrant data, billing for services beyond the 45-day federal window, and providing false assurances about its compliance with federal guidelines. The suspension, carried out by FEMA on behalf of DHS, follows months of warnings and data reviews that flagged major issues in the nonprofit’s operations.
The agency alleges that CCRGV’s migrant intake data was so inconsistent that it could not verify whether the individuals the organization reported serving had ever appeared in DHS databases. Auditors found that the nonprofit’s records had significant gaps, with some error rates reaching as high as 42% in certain spreadsheets. The organization had previously claimed a 4.99% margin of error, but FEMA’s tests found that many names could not be matched to any records in DHS systems. These discrepancies raise serious concerns about the accuracy of the data provided and the potential misuse of federal funds.
Under federal guidelines, NGOs may only bill for services related to migrants within 45 days of their release from DHS custody. The investigation found at least 248 instances where the nonprofit billed the government for services within this window, potentially violating the law. FEMA has noted that such actions could constitute