INTERNACIONAL
DHS moves to cut off South Texas Catholic Charities over migrant grant ‘misconduct,’ documents say
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
EXCLUSIVE – Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley – the South Texas nonprofit long known for its migrant shelter run by Sister Norma Pimentel – has been suspended from receiving federal funds and now faces a rare six-year debarment after a Department of Homeland Security investigation found major grant violations, according to internal Department of Homeland Security (DHS) documents shared exclusively with Fox News Digital.
The action, taken by FEMA on behalf of DHS on Nov. 19-20, follows months of warnings and data reviews that auditors say uncovered sweeping inaccuracies, large gaps in migrant records and significant billing outside federally allowed timeframes.
The suspension applies only to this South Texas affiliate, not to Catholic Charities USA or any other Catholic Charities chapters nationwide.
In a formal Notice of Suspension and Proposed Debarment, DHS officials accused the organization of submitting migrant data so inconsistent the agency could not verify whether many of the people it reported serving had ever appeared in DHS databases.
BORDER CZAR TOM HOMAN SLAMS CATHOLIC CHURCH, SAYS ‘SECURE BORDER SAVES LIVES’
Migrants stand in line outside the Catholic Charities Humanitarian Respite Center at the Rio Grande Valley chapter in late 2022. (Jordan Vonderhaar/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Investigators also alleged at least 248 instances in which the nonprofit billed the government for services outside the 45-day window federal rules allow for migrants released from DHS custody.
FEMA concluded the group provided assurances that its spreadsheets were accurate and compliant, statements the agency said were «false» or «not entirely truthful,» according to the documents.
The proposed punishment is unusually severe. While federal debarments typically run three years, DHS is seeking a six-year ban due to what it describes as a pattern of «pervasive» problems that spanned multiple programs and multiple years.
LAWYERS CHALLENGE DEPORTATION OF HUNDREDS OF MINORS TO GUATEMALA
Sister Norma Pimentel with the Rio Grande Valley Chapter of Catholic Charities is named in the DHS memo. (Leigh Vogel/Getty Images for Concordia Summit)
If finalized, the designation would cut the organization off from most federal funding streams and flag it in the government-wide System for Award Management, warning agencies and pass-through partners not to issue new grants.
Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley (CCRGV) now has 30 days to respond, submit documentation or request a meeting to argue it remains «presently responsible.» If it does not, the six-year ban would likely go into effect.
The DHS findings center heavily on migrant intake data the nonprofit submitted to justify millions of dollars in payments through FEMA’s Emergency Food and Shelter-Humanitarian program (EFSP-H) and its newer Shelter Services Program. FEMA said it asked the group to provide names, A-numbers, countries of origin and evidence of DHS encounters for individuals it claimed to assist. In response, the nonprofit told the agency all migrants had A-numbers recorded and asserted its spreadsheets were accurate within a 4.99% margin of error.
TEXAS SUES COUNTY FOR HELPING MIGRANTS ACCESS LEGAL SUPPORT AS THEY FIGHT DEPORTATION: ‘EVIL AND WICKED’
An exterior shot of the Catholic Charities Rio Grande Valley Chapter with migrants walking past in late 2022. (Jordan Vonderhaar/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Auditors said the reality was far different. In sample sets reviewed by the agency, A-numbers were frequently missing, truncated to four digits, or replaced with phone numbers and other stray entries. Error rates reached 21%, 26% and 42% across three spreadsheets, the documents show. When FEMA tested 100 names, it could not find 61 of them in DHS systems at all.
Investigators also stressed the Rio Grande chapter’s 45-day rule violations. Under federal guidelines, NGOs may only bill for food, shelter or transport for migrants within 45 days of their release from DHS custody.
FEMA told the organization it found at least 248 cases where billing dates occurred after that window had closed, raising concerns that federal dollars were used for services outside what the law allows. The agency wrote that such activity could amount to «potential criminal activity,» though DHS has not said whether it plans to refer the case for criminal review.
TRUMP’S IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN SPARKS BIPARTISAN CALL FOR ASYLUM FIXES, PROTECTION FOR LONGTIME MIGRANTS
The documents further cite the nonprofit’s own posted FY 2024 audit, which reported «material weaknesses» in internal controls over federal awards, inconsistent intake procedures and missing documentation for roughly 5% of sampled recipients. FEMA said corrective-action plans were copied forward almost verbatim year to year, without meaningful improvements.
Catholic leaders have recently pushed back against efforts to cut funding. Pope Leo XIV praised Catholic Charities USA this fall as «agents of hope,» commending its 168 agencies for decades of work with migrants, refugees and the poor.
Pimentel, who leads the Rio Grande Valley branch, has for years been a national figure in migrant ministry. Her Humanitarian Respite Center once processed more than 1,500 migrants per day at the height of mass crossings. She has been publicly praised by the Vatican for her humanitarian work and has spoken out against a return to the Remain in Mexico policy, saying families forced to wait in Mexico suffered «tremendously.»
But her organization has also been a political focal point. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has pursued cases against several Catholic migrant shelters, accusing them of encouraging illegal immigration and operating illegal «stash houses,» including his suit against Annunciation House in El Paso. A judge earlier this year blocked Paxton from deposing Sister Norma in that separate matter.
The suspension now places the Rio Grande Valley operation under simultaneous federal and state scrutiny. It is not yet clear whether other local shelters or municipal partners can absorb the South Texas caseload if the nonprofit ultimately loses federal funds. CCRGV currently serves far fewer migrants than in prior years, but remains one of the region’s key intake points.
DHS has not said when a final decision on debarment will be made. The organization continues to operate during the suspension period but cannot receive new federal awards until the matter is resolved.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Fox News Digital reached out to Catholic Charities for comment.
DHS noted to Fox News Digital that future debarments may occur and that investigations remain ongoing.
border security,illegal immigrants,immigration,homeland security
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A customer at a McDonald’s in Brazil was seen launching into a flying kick toward an employee during a fight in the fast-food restaurant.
The incident happened at the chain’s Sao Paulo location during a confrontation between workers and customers, The Sun reported.
A couple was seen arguing with staff members on Dec. 13 when the dispute escalated.
MCDONALD’S WORKER SHOOTS CUSTOMER IN NECK DURING ‘MCMESS’ ALTERCATION, FLORIDA SHERIFF SAYS
An altercation occurred in a McDonald’s in Brazil, which ended in a customer launching a «flying kick» at an employee. (Mike Leidig/newsX)
As both sides scream at each other, a female customer is seen hurling a fallen burger at one of the employees, the outlet reported.
In response, an employee throws what appeared to be a burger box at a man in a white T-shirt who appears to be accompanying the woman.
The man leads a small girl away before he launched himself at employees near a counter with a flying kick. An employee then appears to throw a punch, prompting the man to walk away.
WATCH: FOOD ORDER MIX-UP TRIGGERS BRAWL AT BURGER JOINT, LEADING TO SEVEN ARRESTS
Footage captured an altercation in a McDonald’s in Brazil. (Mike Leidig/newsX)
Other employees attempted to step in as the woman demanded her money back. She is seen picking something up from the counter and throwing it before the footage ends.
The reason for the dispute was unclear, but local media outlets said it could have stemmed from a food order.
McDonald’s said it regretted the scenes of violence at its Sao Paulo branch, the Sun report states.
A McDonald’s employee in Brazil is seen getting ready to throw something toward a customer. (Mike Leidig/newsX)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The fast-food giant said it was investigating the incident and taking appropriate measures.
fast food,brazil,food
Francia instauró una de las restricciones más estrictas de Europa sobre las sustancias perfluoroalquiladas y polifluoroalquiladas (PFAS), conocidas como “químicos eternos”, al prohibir desde el 1 de enero de 2026 la producción, importación y venta de cosméticos, ropa y otros productos que contienen estos compuestos, siempre que existen alternativas disponibles.
La medida, celebrada por organizaciones medioambientales y respaldada por más de 140.000 ciudadanos en una petición parlamentaria, respondió a la creciente alarma sobre los efectos nocivos de estas sustancias en la salud y el medio ambiente. Los PFAS agrupan más de 10.000 compuestos sintéticos que se usan desde la década de 1940 para fabricar artículos diversos como utensilios antiadherentes, prendas impermeables y productos de cuidado personal.
Estas sustancias se caracterizan por su extrema durabilidad; pueden tardar miles de años en degradarse y se detectaron prácticamente en todos los rincones del planeta, desde la cima del Everest hasta el interior de cetáceos en océanos remotos. Esta persistencia facilita su acumulación en suelos, aguas subterráneas, la cadena alimentaria y el agua potable.
La exposición crónica a los PFAS, incluso a bajas concentraciones, se vinculó con daños hepáticos, alteraciones del colesterol, disminución de la respuesta inmunitaria, menor peso al nacer y distintos tipos de cáncer.
Investigaciones recientes señalan que estas sustancias pueden ingresar al organismo no solo por ingestión o inhalación, sino también a través de la piel, lo que incrementó la preocupación por su uso en productos de uso cotidiano, según informó Euronews.
La ley francesa se aprobó en febrero de 2025 y representó un cambio radical para industrias clave como la cosmética y la textil. La industria cosmética francesa, que genera más de EUR 30.000 millones anuales según la asociación FEBEA, reformuló ingredientes y procesos para cumplir la nueva normativa. Las empresas textiles también enfrentaron el desafío de revisar cadenas de suministro y buscar materiales alternativos, debido al uso extendido de PFAS por sus propiedades de resistencia y fácil mantenimiento, de acuerdo con France 24.
La prohibición incluye cosméticos, cera para esquís y la mayoría de prendas de vestir, aunque mantiene excepciones para ciertos textiles industriales considerados esenciales o vinculados a la soberanía nacional.
Tras una fuerte presión del fabricante francés Tefal y otros actores, los utensilios de cocina antiadherentes quedaron exentos. Tefal aseguró que sus productos actuales no usan PFAS clasificados como carcinógenos ni PFOA desde 2012, aunque varios estudios advierten que los recubrimientos de PTFE pueden liberar micro y nanoplásticos durante la cocción.
Entre las obligaciones adicionales, la ley estableció controles periódicos del agua potable para detectar PFAS y contempló multas para los contaminadores. En Europa, se estima que 12,5 millones de personas residen en áreas con agua potable contaminada por estas sustancias.
El enfoque francés contrastó con el de otros países. En Estados Unidos, solo algunos estados, como California, aprobaron prohibiciones parciales sobre los PFAS en cosméticos a partir de 2025, y se prevé que más estados adopten medidas similares en 2026.
Dinamarca eliminó estos compuestos en ropa, calzado y productos impermeabilizantes desde julio de 2026, y los prohibió en envases alimentarios desde 2020. La Unión Europea estudia una normativa integral, pero aún no implementó una prohibición generalizada para productos de consumo .
A nivel mundial, el Convenio de Estocolmo sobre Contaminantes Orgánicos Persistentes limitó varios PFAS desde 2019, con más de 150 países adheridos, aunque China y Estados Unidos excluyeron algunas restricciones.
Entre las sustancias reguladas figuran el ácido perfluorooctanoico (PFOA), utilizado por DuPont para fabricar teflón desde los años cincuenta, y el ácido perfluorooctano sulfónico (PFOS), empleado por el grupo 3M y severamente restringido desde 2009.
A pesar de los avances legislativos, los PFAS continúan detectándose en numerosos ecosistemas y organismos, lo que subraya la urgencia de alternativas seguras y regulaciones más estrictas en la cadena de consumo.
“Esta prohibición en Francia es una gran noticia para quienes buscan reducir su exposición a estos compuestos nocivos”, señaló Sandra Bell, de CHEM Trust, aunque advirtió: “Es fundamental que la Unión Europea avance hacia una restricción aún más amplia que proteja a todos los ciudadanos”, según documentó Euronews.
La nueva regulación francesa redefinió los estándares en la industria cosmética y textil, planteó exigencias técnicas y económicas, y se convirtió en referencia para futuras políticas europeas orientadas a la protección de la salud pública y el entorno natural.
científicas,laboratorio,París,Torre Eiffel,cosméticos,PFAS,innovación,ciencia,contaminación,análisis químico,seguridad,productos libres de tóxicos
INTERNACIONAL
Conservatives torch media after Mamdani avoids Musk-level backlash over ‘identical’ on-stage gesture
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Conservatives are calling out what they say is a media double standard after newly sworn-in New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani was seen extending his arm during his inauguration Thursday — a gesture they argue mirrors a motion Elon Musk made a year ago that ignited widespread headlines accusing the tech billionaire of delivering a «Nazi salute.»
«Not a single one of these legacy media outlets reported on Mamdani’s identical hand gesture which they called @elonmusk a nazi for Do you see what’s happening?» popular conservative X account Libs of TikTok posted Friday, accompanied by screenshots of media outlets stretching from the Guardian to Vox reported on accusations that Musk delivered a «Nazi-style salute» to Trump supporters Jan. 20.
Liberals and critics frequently attacked Trump while he was on the campaign trail by calling him a Hitler-esque fascist, including former Vice President Kamala Harris, who compared Trump to the German dictator during a town hall in the final stretch of the 2024 election cycle. Musk attended Trump’s inaugural parade in 2025, where he spoke to supporters and was accused of giving a Hitler-style salute to the crowds — a narrative that was promoted by Democrats such as Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
Musk and Republicans lambasted and mocked the accusations when they cropped up, including the tech billionaire floating a potential defamation lawsuit against Walz for promoting the claim.
CRITICS SAY MAMDANI’S VOW TO SWAP ‘RUGGED INDIVIDUALISM’ WITH ‘WARMTH OF COLLECTIVISM’ HAS SINISTER UNDERTONE
Fast-forward nearly a year, conservatives are questioning why Mamdani has not faced similar accusations after he was seen extending his arm in a gesture similar to Musk’s.
«Zohran Mamdani did the same exact gesture today at his swearing in that the left called a ‘Nazi salute’ when @elonmusk did it,» former liberal and WalkAway — a movement encouraging people to leave the Democratic Party — founder Brandon Straka posted to X.
«They lie,» Musk posted to X Friday in response to Libs of TikTok’s message showing a swath of headlines from earlier in 2025 reporting that the tech billionaire allegedly gave a Nazi salute.
«HOLY CRAP! Zohran Mamdani just did the EXACT SAME gesture as Elon Musk When Elon does it, it’s a ‘Nazi salute.’ When communist Zohran does it, the media is silent. The media is the enemy of the people,» conservative commentator Eric Daugherty posted.
«Did Mamdani do a nazi salute?!?! Literally shaking rn I’m sure CNN and MSNBC will be all over this,» Libs of TikTok posted in another message mocking Democrats over their January comments targeting Musk.
BERNIE SANDERS DITCHES ICONIC MITTENS LOOK WHILE SWEARING IN SOCIALIST ZOHRAN MAMDANI AS NYC MAYOR
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani was sworn in as the city’s 112 mayor on Jan. 1, 2026. (Fox News)
«When Elon signals his heart goes out to the crowd he’s a ‘NAZI’. When Mamdani does it, its perfectly fine… The left tried to use that signal from Elon to gaslight people into people into thinking he is a Nazi because they saw it as politically useful.. They are not ideologically consistent and their hypocrisy knows no bounds. They do NOT care about any of that. They just care about political power and feeling virtuous,» another posted.
«Zohran Mamdani can make this gesture and everyone loves him for it, but when Elon Musk does it? The leftist media wasted no time calling him a Nazi,» the Media Research Center posted to X.
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk gestures as he speaks during the inaugural parade inside Capital One Arena, in Washington, Jan.20, 2025. (Angela Weiss/AFP/ Getty Images)
Mamdani, a 34-year-old democratic socialist, took office Thursday, with ceremonies that included a public swearing-in outside City Hall and an earlier private oath at the decommissioned City Hall subway station. Mamdani was seen lifting his hand from his heart to the crowds of supporters at the end of his speech during the public ceremony.
«I was elected as a Democratic socialist, and I will govern as a Democratic socialist,» he said.
FLASHBACK: INSIDE THE POLITICAL MOVEMENT THAT PUT A SOCIALIST IN CHARGE OF NEW YORK CITY
«Beginning today, we will govern expansively and audaciously,» Mamdani said, acknowledging that his agenda may not always succeed but insisting it would be bold. «To those who insist that the era of big government is over, hear me when I say this: No longer will City Hall hesitate to use its power to improve New Yorkers’ lives.»
Democrat Mayor Zohran Mamdani becomes the first Muslim mayor of New York City, with the inauguration ceremony at City Hall, Manhattan, New York City, Jan. 1, 2026. (Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani’s office regarding conservatives’ comments over the salute considering previous coverage of Musk, but did not immediately receive a reply.
Musk served as the Trump administration’s public leader of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which Trump established at the start of his second administration to weed out fraud, government overspending and mismanagement from the federal government.
Musk was a common fixture of the administration — serving as a special government employee — until May, when Musk criticized Trump’s «big, beautiful bill» for raising the debt ceiling, fracturing the relationship. Musk and Trump have since been spotted at public events together, including chatting with one another.
MEDIA OUTLETS ACCUSE ELON MUSK OF GIVING ‘FASCIST SALUTE’ AT TRUMP INAUGURATION RALLY
Musk slammed comparisons to Nazis toward the end of his DOGE tenure, pointing to it as another example of the long-running attacks against Trump and his supporters.
«Well, I mean, look, it’s a relentless propaganda campaign, which obviously President Trump has experienced for a very long time, 20 years, maybe longer,» Musk said on Fox News’ «My View with Lara Trump» in May. «And politics is a blood sport, so they’re going to come up with whatever attacks they can to destroy the public perception of someone.»
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
«Now, obviously, I’ve not harmed anyone in my life, so it’s an outrageous thing to claim that I’m a Nazi,» he added.
zohran mamdani,elon musk,politics,socialism
Calu Rivero y Aíto de la Rúa salieron a nadar mar adentro: “Presente, curioso y valiente”
McDonald’s customer launches flying kick at employee during heated restaurant brawl
El Gobierno aconsejó a los argentinos no viajar a Irán por las violentas protestas contra el régimen
Qué pasó con los Superclásicos de verano y por qué ya no se juegan amistosos entre Boca Juniors y River Plate
Los constitucionalistas rechazan el decreto que reforma la ley de inteligencia
Por baja de retenciones y de impuestos, la recaudación tributaria cayó en diciembre por quinto mes consecutivo
Jorge Lanata, a un año de su muerte: el periodista más original, influyente y popular de su generación
Axel Kicillof insistirá con la reelección indefinida de intendentes, pero evita el debate de la Boleta Única
Documento clave: la empresa de Faroni pactó con la AFA quedarse con el 30% de sus ingresos comerciales en el exterior
Sueldo empleada doméstica: cuáles son los nuevos montos por hora y mes para enero 2026
POLITICA2 días agoEl mensaje de Año Nuevo de Javier Milei: “Hemos cumplido con todas nuestras promesas de campaña”
- ECONOMIA3 días ago
El Gobierno avanza en un REPO por u$s2.000 millones para enfrentar los vencimientos de deuda
- CHIMENTOS1 día ago
Con ironía, Juana Repetto contó por qué no fue al casamiento de su hermano: “Entendí todo”
