The Humanitarian Respite Center is downtown McAllen once saw hundreds of migrants on any given day.

On Tuesday, the shelter operated by Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley was quiet. 

For years, the city of McAllen temporarily took care of migrants released from U.S. Customs and Border Protection custody with funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Shelter and Services Program.

On March 13, the Associated Press reported that FEMA announced that funding from that program is paused while the agency reviews if the funds were being used properly. 

READ MORE: FEMA launches review of migrant shelter aid, suggesting smuggling laws were violated

According to The Associated Press, the Department of Homeland Security has "significant concerns" that federal grants used to address a surge of migration under former President Joe Biden were used for illegal activities.

Recipients of grants from FEMA's Shelter and Services Program were asked to provide names and contact information for migrants served and "a detailed and descriptive list of specific services provided" within 30 days.

“I have no problem signing an affidavit saying we didn't do anything bad, because we didn't,” McAllen Mayor Javier Villalobos said. “Border Patrol was bringing immigrants to us, to Catholic Charities, they were processed and delivered. So what we did was very minimal, but really at the direction of the federal government."

The city is required to respond to the letter with a list of migrants they've helped with the use of two grants that totaled more than $11 million by Thursday, April 10, 2025. 

It shouldn't be hard to find that information, according to Villalobos. 

“The only people we helped are the people Border Patrol brought to us,” Villalobos said. “So they give us the information, and in reality we are just gonna give it back."

Villalobos said the funding is not currently needed, but if there's an influx in migrants while the funding is being paused, the city will be requesting reimbursements. 

“Holding all the payments, well, it really doesn't matter much to us because right now we have maybe zero people crossing, so we don’t need it” Villalobos said. “Should it happen again, and Border Patrol starts picking up individuals and bringing them to the city of McAllen, then once again I would ask, 'hey you need to help us. If you want us to help you, you have to help us financially.’"

An official with the city of Brownsville confirmed that they received a similar letter from FEMA, but said they aren't ready to speak about it. 

Channel 5 News reached out to FEMA to ask why they were concerned about the money being used improperly by the municipal governments.

A senior DHS official provided the following statement:

“Secretary Noem froze grant funding to NGOs where the grant touches immigration. The Biden administration spent hundreds of millions of dollars resettling illegal aliens in our country on American taxpayers dime. We will not give taxpayer dollars to NGOs who facilitate illegal immigration.”

Channel 5 News asked DHS to clarify their response, as they did not respond to the question regarding why they sent letters to the cities of McAllen and Brownsville. 

Watch the video above for the full story.