Immigrant Advocacy Group Collected $8.7 Million in Public Funds During Year of Violent Los Angeles Protests; Investigations Produce No Outcomes

The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), an advocacy group that provides immigration services and organizes on behalf of undocumented immigrants, reported receiving $8,726,683 in government grants for its fiscal year that ran from July 2024 through June 2025. That figure, disclosed in the nonprofit’s latest tax filing, accounted for roughly 35% of CHIRLA’s total revenue for the period and occurred during the month Los Angeles experienced widespread anti-deportation unrest tied to activities by the organization and allied groups.

The unrest in central California began in June 2025 after CHIRLA helped form an anti-ICE network that organized a rally at a federal building in downtown Los Angeles. The demonstration, initially called to protest the arrest of Service Employees International Union (SEIU) leader David Huerta, turned violent as attendees threw objects at police, blocked streets and vandalized property; local law enforcement declared the gathering an unlawful assembly. Estimates of damages from the broader unrest varied widely, with local and federal agencies placing the cost somewhere between $32 million and $1 billion.

In response to those events, congressional and Senate Republicans announced inquiries into CHIRLA’s activities and finances. The House Judiciary Committee and Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri sent letters to CHIRLA in June seeking records, including internal communications and financial documents. The House Homeland Security Committee also requested information about CHIRLA’s immigration-related activities. Those outreach efforts, however, have so far produced no publicly disclosed findings, no reported transfer of the requested materials and no legislative action.

A spokesperson familiar with the Judiciary Committee’s probe told the Daily Caller News Foundation the committee’s work is aimed at preventing "waste, fraud, and abuse and stop taxpayer funding of violent anti-government activity and liberal pet projects." While Hawley warned of a “potential referral for criminal investigation,” the Judiciary Committee did not similarly signal it would issue subpoenas if CHIRLA failed to comply. Agencies contacted about potential federal probes provided limited response: the IRS and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli did not reply to requests for comment on an investigation announced last year, and the FBI’s Los Angeles office declined to comment.

CHIRLA has defended its actions and resisted what it characterized as intimidation by lawmakers. In response to Hawley’s letter, CHIRLA told the press: "We will not be intimidated for standing with immigrant communities and documenting the inhumane manner that our community is being targeted with the assault by the raids, the unconstitutional and illegal arrests, detentions, and the assault on our First Amendment rights." The organization has also maintained that its mission is non-violent, while its public statements have criticized the deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles and demanded a right to "peacefully protest."

The group has long been embedded in the U.S. immigration system. The Obama administration’s Board of Immigration Appeals selected CHIRLA in 2011 to provide immigration services, and the organization said it has filed thousands of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) initial and renewal applications and provided assistance on matters such as adjustment of status, U-Visas, deportation defense and Temporary Protected Status since 2012. According to filings cited by the Daily Caller News Foundation, CHIRLA has received more than $80.6 million in government grants since President Joe Biden took office.

CHIRLA’s role in the June unrest was linked to a coalition it formed in January 2025 with SEIU and other groups called the Los Angeles Rapid Response Network, which organizers say deploys activists to monitor ICE operations. The network was "activated" on June 6 after reports of an ICE enforcement surge; federal agents subsequently arrested Huerta, accusing him of blocking ICE vehicles. Department of Homeland Security data show ICE arrested 1,618 undocumented migrants in Los Angeles in June 2025.

Critics, including other immigrant advocacy organizations and lawmakers, have faulted CHIRLA for not explicitly condemning the violence that occurred during the protests. A June 9 press release from the Hispanic Federation said "members of our partners at CHIRLA" and another group were "detained and injured" while demonstrating. CHIRLA’s continued receipt of substantial government funding amid ongoing scrutiny has prompted debate over oversight of tax-exempt organizations involved in contentious political activity and whether existing mechanisms are sufficient to address alleged ties to unrest.

As investigators and lawmakers have exchanged correspondence with the group, no public record has emerged of CHIRLA turning over the requested materials or of prosecutors filing charges related to the protests. The inquiries have not led to legislative reforms or public enforcement actions to date, leaving questions about accountability for nonprofits that receive taxpayer dollars while engaging in politically charged organizing.