The Los Angeles riots condemning efforts by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials to rid the country of criminal illegal aliens appeared organized from the beginning, prompting people to ask, "Who's paying for all this?"
Two organizations made themselves known from the start: the Party for Socialism and Liberation, and the Service Employees International Union.
A third group has been identified and is trying to hide its presence from authorities because it's a nongovernmental organization (NGO) that receives federal funding. Talk about an inside job.
The fact that thousands of rioters showed up at the same place and at the same time made it obvious the riots were organized. Funding was soon confirmed when people showed up in trucks laden with riot gear.
"We just saw people arrive in Downtown L.A. with truck-loads of Bionic Face Shields that demonstrators quickly grabbed," reported Elex Michaelson, anchor for Fox-LA.
"It certainly seems like gear you'd wear if you're preparing for conflict with police," he added before asking, "Who is funding this?"
Newsweek also caught on to the story, reporting that the face shields retailed at about $60 apiece, and arrived apparently brand new in their original boxes. They also noted that gas masks were distributed to the rioters.
Newsweek added, "Footage of protective equipment being handed out to protesters in the California city has sparked concerns that unknown organizers are kitting-out the crowds in riot gear."
FBI Director Kash Patel was among those who voiced concern.
"The FBI is investigating any and all monetary connections responsible for these riots," Patel said in a statement sent to Just the News.
In addition to the protective gear, many of the rioters displayed foreign flags — primarily Mexican.
Independent journalist Aldo Buttazzoni reported that "after days of footage showing them waving Mexican flags while torching cars, attacking police and burning U.S. flags" the rioters realized that they'd created a PR problem for themselves.
So the rioters were then given U.S. flags and they began draping themselves in the red, white, and blue, prompting the question once again: Who's paying for all this?
The Washington Examiner reported yesterday that a third riot organizer is the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA), an NGO that provides legal services to illegal aliens, and receives millions of dollars in taxpayer funds.
According to its own filings, CHIRLA received approximately $34 million in fiscal year 2023 — nearly three times its $12.4 million federal grant the year before.
What's especially galling is that CHIRLA has received some of its funding from the Department of Homeland Security, and ICE, the very agency that the immigrant rights group is now protesting, is a component of DHS.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin noted Sunday on X that CHIRLA's grant was terminated on March 27 per President Donald Trump and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. However, it also receives funding from the state of California and ActBlue, a Democrat donation center.
CHIRLA denied having anything to do with the riots, but the Examiner observed that they sent the following message on BluSky, a leftist social media platform: "If you see ICE in LA, don't stay silent. Report it to the LA Rapid Response Network."
The riots started less than a week ago, and we already know that CHIRLA is likely supporting the rioters. What other nonprofit NGOs, of the more than 100,000 that receive federal funds, are actively supporting the burning, looting and mayhem?
It's reminiscent of a 1979 film titled, "When a Stranger Calls," which was a psychological thriller. In it a young woman is babysitting when she starts getting calls from a mysterious stranger.
She dismisses them at first, but when they become more frequent and threatening, she calls the police, who promise to trace the next call. The stranger calls again and she keeps him on the line long enough for the trace.
The police call after she hangs up and tells her that they're "coming from inside of the house."
It's time for us to pull the plug on NGOs. How many more are working against America's interests from inside our own house — that is, while receiving taxpayer dollars?
It's bad enough that we have U.S. NGO's working against American interests; it's embarrassing when we actually pay them to do it.
Michael Dorstewitz is a retired lawyer and is a frequent contributor to Newsmax. He's also a former U.S. Merchant Marine officer and a Second Amendment supporter. Read Michael Dorstewitz's Reports — More Here.
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