The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) condemned the violent riots that erupted in Los Angeles over the weekend, where mobs torched vehicles, hurled projectiles at federal officers, and attacked ICE agents.
While DHS released shocking footage and denounced media and political efforts to whitewash the violence as “peaceful,” members of Congress are asking a deeper question: Why are the NGOs that helped fuel the border crisis and now the riots — many funded with taxpayer dollars — not being held accountable for the lawlessness?
In a statement released Tuesday, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said:
“The violent targeting of law enforcement in Los Angeles by lawless rioters is despicable and Democrat politicians must call for it to end.”
She added:
“Sanctuary politicians and the media have falsely claimed these are ‘peaceful’ riots. The American people can see with their own eyes the truth.”
The unrest came in response to recent ICE enforcement operations targeting criminal illegal immigrants in California. Rioters descended on federal buildings, vandalized property, and violently clashed with law enforcement. DHS highlighted footage showing masked agitators throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails, setting police vehicles on fire, and launching projectiles at Customs and Border Protection officers.
Congress: Follow the Money
Now, lawmakers on the House Homeland Security Committee are ramping up an investigation into the role of nonprofit organizations — many of which receive federal funding — that may be complicit in enabling or encouraging this kind of unrest.
In a letter sent by Chairman Mark Green (R-TN) and Oversight Subcommittee Chairman Clay Higgins (R-LA), the committee wrote:
“The Committee remains deeply concerned that NGOs that receive U.S. taxpayer dollars benefitted from the border crisis created by the Biden Administration, and stand ready to do so under future Democrat administrations.”
They cited a “near-total lack of accountability” for how these taxpayer funds are being spent.
The committee is also probing whether these nonprofits may have incentivized or supported illegal activity.
“The Committee is concerned that these NGOs used U.S. taxpayer money to enable the Biden border crisis by incentivizing and facilitating illegal immigration, placing our homeland security at risk and encouraging unprecedented levels of human trafficking and smuggling,” the lawmakers wrote.
“Finally, the Committee is concerned that certain NGOs are now actively advising illegal aliens on how to avoid and impede law enforcement officials, which can only be seen as an attempt to undermine the work [of the] federal government.”
CHIRLA Denies Involvement — But Questions Linger
One group, the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA), publicly denied involvement in the riots. In a statement to the New York Post, a CHIRLA spokesman said:
“We have not participated, coordinated, or been part of the riots being registered in Los Angeles other than the press conference and rally cited above.”
That denial comes as critics point to the coordinated nature of the violence — including the presence of legal observers, bail fund organizers, and professional signage — all hallmarks of NGO-backed protest infrastructure.
The New York Post also reported that several groups involved in immigrant advocacy have received millions in federal funding in recent years — prompting lawmakers to question whether taxpayer money is inadvertently fueling illegal activity and civil unrest.
DHS Words vs. Federal Inaction
Though DHS has been forceful in its rhetoric, critics argue that public statements are not enough. So far, no legal or enforcement action has been taken against the nonprofit groups suspected of helping coordinate or support the riots.
The New York Post confirmed that the House Homeland Security Committee has launched an investigation into several of these NGOs — particularly those that received federal funding while allegedly facilitating illegal immigration and obstructing law enforcement. Lawmakers say the situation raises serious questions about how taxpayer dollars are being used and whether any groups crossed legal lines.
But for many, oversight alone isn’t enough.
Critics argue the federal government must move beyond investigations and toward real accountability — including freezing funds, issuing subpoenas, and pursuing criminal charges if warranted. Until that happens, they warn, the groups fueling chaos at the border and on the streets of American cities will continue to operate unchecked.