Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley has helped more than 500,000 migrants in the last decade. These are people legally released by U.S. authorities after arriving at the border, many of them families and children. The shelter provides them with food, clean clothes, showers, and a place to rest before continuing their journeys.

Now, the federal government has frozen all funding to this shelter for six years.

The organization, led by Sister Norma Pimentel, has been praised around the world for its compassionate work. Yet it has now been caught in the middle of a political fight, following a congressional investigation into nonprofits that offer humanitarian aid to migrants.

This is about punishing a Catholic-run shelter for showing compassion to migrants.

According to officials, Catholic Charities’ funding was cut due to paperwork issues and timing violations in how it reported services. The organization said it was simply caring for migrants brought to its doorstep by federal agents.

This is not fraud. This is mission-driven service to the most vulnerable among us.

We call on the Department of Homeland Security and members of Congress to restore funding to Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley. We also urge officials to ensure that future audits are fair and focused on facts, not politics.

No one should be punished for offering water, warmth, and dignity to people who are suffering.

Sign this petition to support Sister Norma, defend humanitarian work at the border, and restore life-saving aid for migrant families in South Texas.

Photo: Jason Garza for The Texas Tribune