We at the Lepanto Institute can confirm that Border Workers United was continually funded by the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) for two more grant periods (2022-2023 and 2023-2024) following our original 2022 report (which can be found below). They were awarded a total of $100,000 over that period of time. This marks a total of $220,000 for BWU since its first ever grant in 2017.
In 2022, we released primary source information proving BWU was actively promoting homosexual and transgender ideologies, participated in a pro-abortion march and was part of a pro abortion coalition called the National Domestic Workers Alliance.
Since that report, we have found further proof of BWU’s support of pro-abortion groups and activities as well as recent participation in a drag queen event that further drives home the point that BWU is an abominable choice to receive Catholic funding.
Further evidence of BWU support for abortion
BWU itself DIRECTLY participated in an explicitly pro-abortion rally in 2016. South Texans for Reproductive Justice held a rally as a counter protest against “anti-choice” (pro-life) protesters at an abortion clinic. BWU is listed (by its alternate name Fuerza del Valle) as a featured attendee, there to “show love to our local abortion providers.” This action alone should have been enough to PERMANENTLY ban BWU from all future CCHD funding!
The description of the event declares, “we are Texans who believe that everyone deserves access to abortion care … we pledge to give people the resources to tell their own stories and to voice their own support for access to abortion.”
This is unsurprising since BWU has a long history of supporting abortion and collaboration with the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Rights. For instance, in 2013, BWU posted a Huffington Post article decrying the Republican Party’s work to criminalize abortion.
The HuffPost article was upset that Texas Gov. Perry was working hard to remove abortion clinics from the state of Texas, saying:
“Last week when the governor called a special session that included a bill that would have reduced women’s access to have a safe and legal abortion, from 42 facilities to just 5, Texans reacted and successfully helped filibuster the bill. Shortly thereafter, Perry called another special session, determined to try and push the bill through again.”
In July 2014, BWU posted pictures of a dinner it had with the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health (a stridently pro-abortion organization), saying, “Cheers. Dignity. Justice,” indicating that the pro-abortion organization is promoting “justice.”
In December 2015, BWU (under its other name Fuerza Del Valle) joined the Center for Reproductive Rights and National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health at the United Nations to discuss “domestic worker’s rights, reproductive justice, access to medical care, the militarization of the Mexican-American border, immigration, and issues LGBTQ women face.”
On November 16, 2015, BWU participated in a Health Fair and Art Walk, declaring that “Labor Justice is Reproductive Justice!”
On April 29, 2015 BWU gave a “shout out” to NILRH for its work:
Current LGBT related activities
BWU did not get a grant for the 2025 CCHD grants cycle. Oftentimes, CCHD pauses the grants to an organization for a year and then re-funds the following year after the break. BWU’s documented abortion support should be more than enough to preclude it from any future grants, but just in case CCHD thinks those violations are too old, here is what BWU has been up to in the last few months; attending drag queen parties.
In September of 2025, the Texas Civil Rights Project advertised a “Community Gathering and Drag Show” on Facebook.
Listed among the included organizations is BWU (right next to Planned Parenthood):
A further Facebook post by the Texas Civil Rights Project confirms BWU’s participation at the “Selena-themed drag show”:
Updated Conclusion
Considering that our prior report already exposed BWU’s support and enablement of abortion, this new evidence of its explicit participation and promotion of abortion, as well as its current participation in LGBT activities further validates our earlier findings. CCHD’s 2023-2024 grant to BWU came AFTER our initial report concerning BWU and demonstrates that CCHD has no intention of stopping Catholic funds from supporting organizations that undermine Catholic teachings. There was no justification for BWU’s continued funding after our initial revelations, and now things have continued to get worse. Consequently, the Lepanto Institute is reiterating its demand for the USCCB to permanently shut down the CCHD.
Border Workers United (Original 2022 Report)
Border Workers United (BWU) has received $120,000 from the Catholic Campaign for Human Development since 2017, including the $30,000 it received for the 2020-2021 grants cycle.
The problem with BWU is that it actively promotes homosexual and transgender ideologies, it partnered with the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health in a Women’s March (during which, it carried “Stand with Planned Parenthood” posters, and it is a member of the pro-abortion National Domestic Workers Alliance.
LGBTQ Activism
On March 22, 2021, BWU posted this flow chart regarding sexual harassment, including in the harassment any sort of negative comment about homosexual or transgender behaviors. The p[oster asks, “What is sexual harassment?” It then defines it as:
“Sexual harassment is unwanted sexual behavior or language at work. There are many types of sexual harassment, including: Bullying with comments like “you’re not feminine enough” or “you’re not a real man.” Harassment based on sexual orientation or gender identity/expression”
In the lower left corner of the poster can be seen a rainbow image and the colors of the transgender movement.
On March 11, 2017, BWU hosted a “Women’s March for Justice,” in partnership with the National Institute for Latina Reproductive Health, a radically pro-abortion organization.
In the write-up about the March, BWU wrote the following:
Fuerza del Valle Workers’ Center
956-283-5650
[email protected]
or
NLIRH RAL TX – “Las Poderosas”
956-459-1031
[email protected]
And the day after the March, BWU posted this picture of their own procession carrying “Stand with Planned Parenthood” signs, indicating EXACTLY what they meant by “women’s rights.”
The CCHD absolutely forbids organizations from membership in organizations acting against Catholic teaching. In an FAQ on the USCCB website, the CCHD directly answers the question about whether grantees may be members of coalitions that oppose Catholic teachings. In answer, the CCHD firmly stated, “CCHD will not fund groups that are knowingly members of coalitions that have as part of their organizational purpose or coalition agenda, positions or actions that contradict fundamental Catholic moral and social teaching.”
Despite this, the National Domestic Workers Alliance identifies BWU as one of its affiliates. Even though the “Chapters and Affiliates” page contains a disclaimer which says that the “views expressed on this website or otherwise by the National Domestic Workers Alliance do not necessarily reflect the views, positions or policies of NDWA affiliates,” the disclaimer does no good to protect the organization from the CCHD guideline prohibiting membership in such groups.
All organizational affiliates of NDWA are required to pay annual dues, meaning that organizational membership in NDWA includes financial support for NDWA activism. According to NDWA’s Affiliate Manual, affiliates with an operating budget below $250,000 pay $50 every year. Affiliates whose operating budgets are between $250,000 and $500,000 pay $100 every year. Affiliates with operating budgets between $500,000 and $1 million pay $150 every year, and all others pay $250 per year. In 2018, Border Workers United’s operating expenses were listed at $136,000, meaning it’s annual dues paid to NDWA would have been $50.
With this in mind, there is no mistaking the fact that NDWA is a radically pro-abortion organization, which makes it impossible for any CCHD grantee to be a member.
And to show that NDWA’s promotion of abortion well pre-dates this grant, NDWA tweeted in 2016 its solidarity with Poland in standing AGAINST abortion bans.
In 2018, NDWA tweeted “Rise up for Roe!”
In June of 2019, NDWA said that abortion bans harm women’s health and their dignity.
In June of 2020, NDWA publicly supported the fight against Louisiana’s anti-abortion law saying, “The right to reproductive care means nothing unless ALL women can live full self-determined lives.”
On June 24, 2022, the day the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, NDWA published a tweet calling for readers to donate to the National Network of Abortion Funds to “show solidarity” by providing “direct financial support for abortions.”
That same day, NDWA issued a vision statement regarding its entire alliance, declaring that “the domestic worker movement will continue to fight for a world where everyone has access to the full spectrum of health care, including abortion.”
On June 28, 2022, NDWA claimed that “Abortion is healthcare.”
On July 11, 2022, NDWA called abortion a “fundamental right.”
But NDWA’s activities in fighting for access to abortion isn’t limited to mere social media screeds. NDWA has taken active initiatives in support of abortion. At some point, NDWA created a pledge card for people to sign saying, “Stop the Abortion Bans!”
During the Trump administration, NDWA created a petition to stop blocking immigrants and refugees from accessing abortion.
In 2021, NDWA sign onto a letter calling for protection of access to abortion.
Conclusion
Border Workers United is directly involved in the promotion of abortion, as is indicated by the Women’s March it co-hosted with the pro-abortion National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health and the pictures promoting Planned Parenthood. It is also advancing LGBTQ ideologies. And in addition to this, it is in direct violation of the CCHD guideline about being a member of a pro-abortion organization.
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