BROWNSVILLE, Texas (Border Report) — After seven years and countless trips south of the border to help migrants, the nonprofit organization Team Brownsville has closed its doors. But some of its members have formed a new organization.
The new group is called Madrinas de Justicia, or Godmothers for Justice. And they’re affiliated with the New York-based nonprofit organization Grannies Respond.
“We felt like we needed to ally ourselves to align ourselves with another nonprofit in a different state for support, for protection, so that we could continue doing important work,” founding Team Brownsville member Andrea Rudnik told Border Report on Friday.
Rudnik, 65, and two other retirees, Gerry Page, and Kathy Harrington, both 78, say they wanted to go another direction after Team Brownsville was investigated by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, and after the Trump administration restricted asylum for migrants.
Paxton has dropped the case after courts ruled in favor of Team Brownsville. But Rudnik says the atmosphere is troubling, and they want to affiliate with an organization out of state for a wider umbrella of protection.
“All three of us have put in a lot of heart and a lot of love into the work of Team Brownsville. But we did not feel safe anymore as an organization to continue having a nonprofit that was based here in Texas because of the current administration’s stance,” Rudnik said.
She says they plan to continue accepting donations for migrants in the northern Mexican border towns of Reynosa and Matamoros. But they’ll also assist migrants here in the United States whose asylum cases are pending, and who need help finding work and getting by.
During its tenure, Team Brownsville assisted thousands of migrants. Volunteers took wagons full of donations and goods and provided meals to those living in shelters and in encampments in Matamoros. They also operated a Welcome Center owned by the City of Brownsville to help migrants who were legally released by the federal government after crossing the border.
But the center closed down, and border crossings are currently at a historic low during this second Trump administration.
Despite the closure, they say they won’t stop helping migrants.
“We’ll probably continue to do what we’ve done before. We’ll provide services to the ones over that are stuck in Mexico because they’re certainly not able to come across. So we try to minister them as much as we can with hygiene products or just friendship, you know going over and giving a happy smile and a hug,” Page said.
Harrington says some migrants believe they’ll soon be able to cross and claim asylum.
“There are some that are still hopeful. And they’re holding onto that hope,” she said.
Page is a great-grandmother, and Rudnik is a grandmother. Harrington used to run a business. All three say they want to continue to help those who want to make the United States their home.
“We did lots of really important, wonderful work. And we had volunteers come from all over the country to work with us. Team Brownsville was a great organization,” Rudnik said. “We have to move on toward the future.”
Information on donations can be found on their Facebook page.
Sandra Sanchez can be reached at SSanchez@BorderReport.com.