In a recent revelation, a government transparency organization disclosed that California allocated a staggering $73.6 million to anti-deportation organizations for the years 2023 and 2024. Notably, the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles was a significant beneficiary, receiving $35 million of this funding.
California Republican lawmakers have called for an audit to investigate how much state funding is supporting CHIRLA’s protest and activism efforts.
“I’m formally requesting the Legislature audit the extent by which LA’s riots are being bankrolled by a taxpayer subsidized nonprofit,” said Assemblywoman Kate Sanchez, R-Trabuco Canyon, on X. “There is zero excuse for our tax dollars to go towards these riots.”
OTB’s report showcases CHIRLA’s “Wise Up!” program, emphasizing its role in empowering high school students to engage in activism, along with the organization’s policy agenda.
CHIRLA’s website outlines a program aimed at mobilizing high school students, including both undocumented individuals and their allies, to advocate for immigrant rights and equitable educational access. The initiative empowers students by encouraging civic engagement and participation in legislative efforts to improve their pathways to education and citizenship.
CHIRLA’s website highlights its key advocacy areas, featuring efforts to confront anti-immigrant legislation, diminish immigration enforcement, and support investment in immigrant communities.
Sanchez’s letter seeking the state audit outlined various activities of CHIRLA, highlighting connections to the Los Angeles deportation riots. It mentioned the organization’s “Removal Defense Team” offering deportation defense and raised allegations that CHIRLA “materially and financially supported the coordinated protests and riots that have caused chaos in parts of Los Angeles.”
CHIRLA’s activity on Bluesky features recent updates about a hotline for reporting federal immigration agent sightings and accessing immigration assistance.
On Tuesday, leaders from CHIRLA took the stage at a protest against deportation outside Los Angeles City Hall, shortly before Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass addressed the crowd.
“I need your prayer to be fierce,” said CHIRLA Executive Director Angelica Salas at the event. “I need your prayer to stop the raids. Provide our people due process.”
“Set us free as immigrants in this country,” continued Salas.
“Stop the raids. That has to end. We cannot create a sense of fear,” said Bass. “We will fight for all Angelenos regardless of when they came here, where they are from, or how they got here.”
Recent reports highlight California’s financial commitment to deportation defense, revealing an allocation of $24 million last year specifically for this purpose, alongside an additional $37 million designated for various immigration-related legal services benefiting both legal and undocumented immigrants.
In February, California Governor Gavin Newsom enacted legislation that allocates an additional $25 million for legal assistance to residents, with a significant portion expected to support deportation defense for undocumented immigrants.
