Austin — A Texas judge on Thursday blocked another immigrant aid group from further questioning as part of a state attorney general’s investigation into organizations that help migrants cross the U.S. southern border.
Read also: Judge rules against closure of migrant shelter in El Paso, Texas
Judge Maya Guerra Gamble ruled that the aid group Team Brownsville was not required to testify in connection with the investigation. The ruling represents a new judicial defeat for Texas officials who have subjected pro-immigrant groups to increasing scrutiny. The investigations were launched after Republican Gov. Greg Abbott wrote a letter in 2022, without presenting evidence, suggesting that some groups may be acting illegally or helping immigrants enter the United States illegally.
Judge Gamble’s ruling does not prevent authorities from continuing to investigate Team Brownsville, which they accuse of misusing federal grants. During a hearing in Austin, lawyers for Team Brownsville refuted the allegations and accused Texas authorities of trying to intimidate pro-immigrant groups.
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In July, a judge issued a similar ruling against Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, and another judge blocked Texas authorities from closing a migrant shelter in El Paso.
Read also: A migrant shelter in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, aims to become self-sufficient
Spokespeople for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, whose office is leading the investigation, did not immediately respond to requests for comment after the hearing.
No criminal charges have been filed against either group, and Paxton’s attorneys told Gamble they had no interest in pursuing a criminal investigation into Team Brownsville, an organization that provides food and shelter to asylum seekers arriving in the United States.
* Nadia Lathan / AP
Lathan is a fellow at the Statehouse News Initiative, an initiative of The Associated Press/Report for America. Report for America is a national nonprofit program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-reported topics.
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