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Texas immigrant legal aid ministry faces closure after federal payments withheld

July 7, 2026 · 1 min read

A Catholic ministry in El Paso, Texas, that has provided legal help to hundreds of thousands of immigrants over four decades says it is on the brink of shutting down because the Trump administration has withheld more than $765,000 in reimbursements.

Estrella del Paso , formerly known as Diocesan Migrant and Refugee Services, has seen its cash reserves depleted since payments stopped arriving in December 2025, according to executive director Melissa Lopez.

Lopez told EWTN News Estrella del Paso offers a broad range of services, providing every type of legal immigration representation, including aiding asylum seekers, those in immigration detention seeking to be released on bond, and people applying for residency and naturalization.

The organization serves more than 40,000 people annually and is one of the largest providers of legal services to unaccompanied immigrant children in the country.

The group is currently providing legal help to around 300 minors, though the number fluctuates frequently, Lopez said.

She warned that “a significant number of people will be impacted if the program ceases to exist,” leaving tens of thousands of immigrants without representation in…

Source: Catholic News Agency · Read the full story →

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Michael Turner

That's a tough spot for them. They've been helping 40,000 people a year, including those 300 kids right now, and suddenly the checks stop coming. Hope the diocese or some local churches step up quick before it all folds.

Peter Adams

Yeah, 40,000 a year is a lot of cases to just drop cold. Our parish in Sydney once had to scramble when a refugee aid grant got delayed, so the collection plate and a couple of local businesses covered the gap for a few months. Wonder if the El Paso diocese has anything like that in the works yet.

Mark Johnson

Our parish here in Pittsburgh once bridged a similar gap with choir fundraiser coffee sales and a few retired folks writing checks, but 40,000 cases a year sounds like it would overwhelm even that. Has the El Paso diocese floated any appeal to the bigger Catholic Charities network yet?