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A judge in Travis County will be hearing arguments next week to determine whether the Office of Attorney General can depose the cofounder of Team Brownsville, a nongovernmental organization (NGO) that provides services to migrants.
On July 8, Paxton’s office filed a petition that accused Team Brownsville (TBI) of mismanaging funding they received.
“Former board members and volunteers of TBI have alleged that TBI has little to no accountability for the money it receives from donors and governmental entities,” the lawsuit stated. “They have further stated that on multiple occasions TBI has taken grants awarded for providing migrant services in Brownsville and given those funds to unknown persons in Mexico with little to no accountability as to its use. (A) Former director of another NGO operating in Brownsville has made similar allegations against TBI.”
The state also claimed records shared with them by Team Brownsville indicated that funds may have been used for “unauthorized, and potentially illegal, practices.”
Team Brownsville filed their response on Aug. 9 and said they deny “each and every, all and singular, allegations” in the petition. They are asking the court not to allow the state to go forward with the deposition of Team Brownsville cofounder Andrea Rudnik.
An attorney for Team Brownsville said they are not commenting. Rudnik did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This marks the second time the Attorney General has taken an NGO serving in the region to court following a similar request in July when a Hidalgo County judge denied the state permission to depose Sister Norma Pimentel, the executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley.
Team Brownsville has been providing humanitarian aid to migrants recently released by U.S. Customs and Border Protection into the country by providing meals, guidance, and welcome packages equipped with hygienic products.
The organization started after the implementation of the Migrant Protection Protocols in 2019. The Remain in Mexico program, as it became known, pushed migrants into Mexico to wait for their immigration court hearings. In Matamoros, the wait created an encampment with thousands thrust into poverty and hunger. Team Brownsville members carried wagons into Matamoros to deliver prepared meals for families in need.
On Dec. 14, 2022, Gov. Greg Abbott asked Paxton to investigate NGOs that he believed “may be engaged in unlawfully orchestrating [certain] border crossings through activities on both sides of the border.”
The governor did not provide evidence to support his claims; but, since then, Paxton has sought to depose NGO’s across Texas, including Annunciation House in El Paso, FIEL in Houston, and Catholic Charities in McAllen.
A hearing is scheduled for Aug. 29 in the 200th state District Court in Travis County.
