AUSTIN, Texas — A Texas judge on Thursday shielded another migrant-advocacy group from more serious questioning as part of a Republican-led investigation into groups that help migrants cross the U.S.-Mexico border.
U.S. District Judge Maya Guerra Gamble ruled that the aid group Team Brownsville does not have to take part in a deposition related to the investigation. The ruling follows a series of losses for Texas officials who have stepped up scrutiny of immigrant aid groups. The investigation was launched after Republican Gov. Greg Abbott wrote a letter in 2022 suggesting, without citing evidence, that some of the groups may be engaging in illegal activities or helping immigrants enter the country illegally.
Governor Gamble’s decision does not preclude the continuation of the state’s investigation into Team Brownsville, which state officials accuse of improperly using federal funding. At a hearing in Austin, lawyers for Team Brownsville denied those accusations and accused Texas officials of trying to intimidate the aid group.
A judge in July rejected a similar motion to certify from Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, and another judge rejected a state effort to close a migrant shelter in El Paso.
A spokesman for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is leading the investigation, did not immediately respond to a request for comment after the hearing.
No criminal charges have been filed against either group, and lawyers from Paxton’s office told Gamble that they do not intend to pursue a criminal investigation into Team Brownsville, which provides food and shelter to asylum seekers entering the United States.