An advocacy group at the center of the organizing efforts of the anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles has long raised money through ActBlue, the controversial Democratic Party-oriented non-profit entity that is under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice and Congress.
According to the social media pages of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA), the group was formed in 1986 to “advance the human and civil rights of immigrants and refugees.” Its mission is to “educate, organize, and advocate.” The landing page of CHIRLA’s website solicits donations through another entity, called Funraise.
CHIRLA is nonetheless listed in ActBlue’s official directory, and ActBlue facilitates donations to CHIRLA. The far-left, pro-immigrant charity’s latest IRS 990 filing for 2023 shows that CHIRLA had revenue of close to $45 million, and expenses of just over $20 million. Their tax filing does not disclose donors’ names, nor any specific amount that ActBlue channeled to CHIRLA.
Three days of protests
The charity’s IRS filings self-described their mission as to “promote harmonious multi-ethnic human relations.” Dozens have been arrested after violent clashes with ICE agents attempting to locate illegal immigrants. L.A.ist, a local magazine, published an Associated Press newsphoto of a masked man using a Mexican flag to assault police officers.
“If you see ICE in LA, don’t stay silent. Report it to the LA Rapid Response Network,” read a post from CHIRLA on Sunday.
The three days of demonstrations saw more than 6,000 people take over the streets of downtown Los Angeles, and on Sunday the NBC-owned KNBC reported that at least 2,000 people are estimated to have taken over the 101 Freeway northbound, shutting it down and forcing traffic to come to a standstill.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that “violent mobs have attacked ICE Officers and Federal Law Enforcement Agents carrying out basic deportation operations in Los Angeles, California.”