While mainstream media outlets breathlessly report on the "spontaneous outrage" unfolding in Los Angeles, the uncomfortable truth about these anti-ICE riots is hiding in plain sight: they're about as organic as a lab-grown chicken breast. What began as "protests" has devolved into four days of chaos featuring burning American flags, looted businesses, and rioters hurling cinderblocks at federal officers. But the most fascinating question isn't why people are rioting—it's who's bankrolling this perfectly choreographed disaster.
The answer, as is often the case when following the money trail of American political theater, is a tangled web of government grants, shadowy NGOs, and billionaire ideologues with questionable foreign connections. And your tax dollars are right in the middle of it.
What began as "protests" has devolved into four days of chaos. But the most fascinating question isn't why people are rioting—it's who's bankrolling this perfectly choreographed disaster.
At the center of this funding ecosystem is CHIRLA—the Coalition for Humane Immigration Rights—which has been identified as one of the primary organizers behind the riots. If that name sounds like a perfectly focus-grouped piece of nonprofit branding, that's because it is. According to financial records unearthed by investigative journalists, CHIRLA experienced a stunning financial windfall recently, with their government grants ballooning from $12 million to $34 million in a single year
.Let that sink in for a moment. The organization helping coordinate protests against ICE—a federal agency—saw its government funding nearly triple. In what universe does that make sense? It's like McDonald's bankrolling PETA.
While the bulk of this funding reportedly comes from California's state government (no surprise there, with Governor Newsom practically begging to be arrested on national television), about $450,000 flows directly from federal coffers. That's right—the federal government is indirectly subsidizing protests against itself. Your tax dollars at work, America.
THE MONEY TRAIL
CHIRLA (Coalition for Humane Immigration Rights): Government grants increased from $12M to $34M in one year
Party for Socialism and Liberation: Communist group printing professional protest signs
ActBlue: Democratic fundraising platform channeling donations to protest organizers
Neville Singham: Billionaire with alleged ties to Chinese propaganda efforts
But it gets better. Photographic evidence from the riots shows that many of the protest materials—those professionally printed signs that magically appear whenever cameras are rolling—trace back to the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL). That's not hyperbole or a red-baiting tactic; that's literally their name. They're an actual communist party operating within the United States, complete with hammer and sickle imagery and everything.
The PSL isn't exactly subtle about its revolutionary ambitions. This is the same group that organized pro-Hamas protests on October 8, 2023—yes, you read that correctly, the day after the October 7 attacks. Nothing says "we have reasonable political demands" quite like immediate solidarity with a terrorist organization while the bodies are still warm.
The federal government is indirectly subsidizing protests against itself. Your tax dollars at work, America.
And who stands behind these organizations? According to financial investigations, one name that keeps appearing is Neville Singham, described as a "socialist billionaire" with connections to Chinese propaganda efforts. If that combination of descriptors—socialist billionaire with Chinese connections—doesn't set off alarm bells, you haven't been paying attention to geopolitics for the past decade.
Singham's Wikipedia bio proudly notes that he sold his IT consulting company Thoughtworks for a cool $785 million in 2017. Nothing says "eat the rich" quite like becoming one yourself, then using that wealth to destabilize American cities from a comfortable distance.
What's particularly interesting about the LA riots is the bizarrely eclectic coalition that's formed. Alongside the expected Mexican flags, observers have noted a significant presence of Palestinian flags and pro-Palestine chanting. On the surface, ICE raids and the Israel-Hamas conflict have about as much in common as scuba diving and mountain climbing. But they share one crucial element: they're both reliable pressure points for generating anti-American sentiment.
The politicization of these riots is equally transparent. The same CHIRLA that's coordinating these "spontaneous" protests endorsed Adam Schiff's Senate campaign and has appeared alongside numerous Democratic politicians. ActBlue, the Democratic Party's primary fundraising platform, helps channel money to these organizations. It's all very cozy—unless you're one of the immigrant business owners whose livelihood is being destroyed by the very people claiming to champion your rights.
Alongside Mexican flags, observers have noted Palestinian flags at these riots. ICE raids and the Israel-Hamas conflict have about as much in common as scuba diving and mountain climbing, but share one crucial element: they're reliable pressure points for generating anti-American sentiment.
The broader context here matters. These riots didn't erupt because ICE was conducting random sweeps targeting hardworking undocumented families. According to Tom Homan, Trump's border czar, the raids were part of an ongoing criminal investigation into money laundering, tax evasion, and customs fraud. But that nuance gets lost when there are American flags to burn and Nikes to loot.
California Governor Gavin Newsom's reaction to all this has been particularly revealing. Rather than focusing on protecting his constituents' businesses and restoring order, he's busy picking fights with the federal government, threatening lawsuits over the National Guard deployment, and daring border officials to arrest him. It's the kind of performative grandstanding that plays well on social media but does absolutely nothing to help the people of Los Angeles who are watching their city burn.
The final piece of this puzzle is the oddly professional nature of these "grassroots" protests. Union del Barrio, Community Self-Defense Coalition, and Centre CSO have all been identified as coordinating these events. These aren't random citizens spontaneously taking to the streets; these are established organizations with leadership structures, communication networks, and yes, funding sources.
One might reasonably ask: if these organizations are so concerned about immigrant rights, why are they creating chaos that ultimately hurts immigrant communities the most? The business owners quoted in news reports—the ones seeing their livelihoods destroyed and customers too afraid to visit their shops—are predominantly immigrants themselves. But their voices don't fit the narrative, so they're ignored.
One might reasonably ask: if these organizations are so concerned about immigrant rights, why are they creating chaos that ultimately hurts immigrant communities the most?
The truth is uncomfortable but increasingly obvious: these riots aren't about immigration policy. They're not even about the specific ICE raids that supposedly triggered them. They're about political theater, power struggles, and the weaponization of chaos for political gain. They're about creating footage for campaign ads, fundraising opportunities for activist organizations, and posturing platforms for politicians.
Meanwhile, regular Los Angeles residents—including the immigrants these protests supposedly champion—are left to pick up the pieces. Their businesses are destroyed, their streets are unsafe, and their legitimate concerns about both immigration policy and public safety are drowned out by the sound of breaking glass and bullhorns.
The deployment of 700 Marines alongside the National Guard speaks to how serious the situation has become. This isn't a typical protest; it's descended into something that requires military intervention. Yet the organizations funding and coordinating these events face no consequences, free to move on to the next crisis they can exploit
.There's a certain irony in watching people burn American flags while demanding the right to remain in America. There's an even greater irony in discovering that the government itself is indirectly funding these displays through grants to organizations that coordinate them. But perhaps the greatest irony is that the ultimate victims of these riots are the very communities they claim to defend.
Follow the money, and the picture becomes clear: these aren't spontaneous expressions of community outrage. They're carefully orchestrated political theater, funded by a mix of government grants, ideological billionaires, and partisan organizations. And they're coming soon to a city near you.
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