A new report identifies The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) as a leading force behind recent anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles, where demonstrators confronted federal immigration enforcement officers. The protests, which drew significant attention, were organized in part through CHIRLA’s Los Angeles Rapid Response Network, which monitors ICE activity and mobilizes activists in real time.
California attorney Laura Powell took to social media to criticize CHIRLA, accusing the group of using taxpayer money to provoke violent resistance against federal immigration operations. Powell pointed out that CHIRLA has long maintained radical views, including spearheading a 2018 campaign to abolish ICE. She also highlighted the organization’s political ties, linking it to Mayor Karen Bass and influential labor unions.
Financial documents reveal that CHIRLA received $34 million in state funds in 2023, nearly three times more than in 2022. Additionally, the organization was awarded a $450,000 federal contract, which was later canceled following legal challenges. These revelations have fueled debates over the appropriate use of public funds by politically active nonprofits.
During the height of the protests, California Representative Maxine Waters made a public appearance at the scene, sharply criticizing the National Guard’s deployment, which had been ordered by President Trump. She condemned the militarized response in Los Angeles, a self-declared sanctuary city, and insisted that state leaders had been excluded from the decision-making process.
Waters also attempted to gain access to the Los Angeles Federal Building to check on SEIU President David Huerta, who was arrested during the demonstrations. The situation has sparked wider concerns about the intersection of nonprofit activism, public funding, and the federal government’s stance on sanctuary cities.
