The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), under the Biden administration, has been found to be financially supporting one of the groups that has been actively protesting against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a subsidiary of DHS itself.
This startling revelation was brought to light by Natalie Winters of War Room, who discovered that the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) had been the recipient of a generous project grant of $450,000 from DHS.
According to The Post Millennial, CHIRLA has been at the forefront of protests against ICE, with its members carrying placards bearing messages such as "Stop deportations: full rights for immigrants," "ICE: out of our communities," "Education not Deportation," "Stop the starvation, stop the deportations," and "The Trump Fascist Regime Must Go Now."
CHIRLA's executive director, Angelica Salas, addressed the crowd during one of these protests, expressing her concern about the plight of the immigrant community. "Our community is under attack and has been terrorized," she stated. "These are workers, these are fathers, these are mothers." She further revealed that of the initial grant, $100,000 remains to be disbursed to the group.
Salas also addressed a press conference of the CHIRLA-run LA Rapid Response Network, following a series of ICE raids. She expressed the group's "indignation as to what happened in our city, in our neighborhoods, in our workplaces." She emphasized that "Immigration enforcement that is terrorizing our families throughout this country and picking up our people that we love must stop now."
Salas also made a call to all US citizens, warning them of the potential violation of their rights. "You think that you are protected because you are not an immigrant. I am here to tell you what is happening in this country and what we observe today is unprecedented, and we are in a situation where every single person who believes in democracy and believes in the ability of us to live free in this country is under attack," she said.
In addition to DHS, CHIRLA also receives funding from ActBlue. The group continues to stage protests against ICE, despite being funded by the agency's parent organization, DHS. One such protest was staged for David Huerta, who was arrested during a riot.
The DHS under Biden's administration, led by Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, has shown a stark contrast to the department under Trump's administration, led by Secretary Kristi Noem. While Noem was known for her strict enforcement of immigration laws, Mayorkas has been more lenient, advocating for pathways to citizenship for illegal immigrants.
Mayorkas, shortly after assuming office, made a controversial statement at a White House press briefing, telling potential illegal border crossers, "We're not saying don't come, we're saying don't come now." His tenure has been marked by efforts to create more semi-legal and legal avenues for immigration, including fast-tracking citizenship for illegal immigrant spouses of US citizens.
In September 2021, Mayorkas stated in ICE guidelines that the federal government did "not have the resources to apprehend and seek the removal" of the "more than 11 million undocumented or otherwise removable noncitizens of the United States," suggesting it was more practical to "provide a path to citizenship or other lawful status" for these individuals.
It was during Mayorkas' tenure that CHIRLA was awarded the $450,000 grant. This funding, ironically, is being used to stage protests against the enforcement arm of the very agency that provided it.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris, during her tenure as Senator-Elect in 2016, held an event at CHIRLA headquarters and praised the group, stating that their "mission is one of the main reasons I ran to become a Senator."
`This endorsement from a high-ranking official further underscores the complex relationship between the government and activist groups like CHIRLA.
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