Published at Open the Books Substack

As federal agents are confronted by riots in Los Angeles over the arrest and deportation of criminal illegal aliens, it is worth exploring how the state, and even the federal government, have been funding nonprofits that facilitate migration and advocate for open-borders policies locally and nationwide.

 

Over just the past two years, the state of California poured tens of millions of dollars into nonprofits involved in immigration/refugee advocacy and legal services. Just five key non-governmental organizations documented here received $73.6 million in 2023 and 2024, and all of them include deportation defense in their work.

 

They’re also all 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofits, meaning they are restricted in the amount of time they can devote to political advocacy. Nevertheless, many participate in advocacy at the state and/or federal level, with some emphasizing policy work in states other than California. These organizations represent only a portion of nonprofits receiving funding related to immigration legal support and advocacy.

 

The spending cycle becomes more perverse when federal funds also flow to these nonprofits, empowering them to advocate for federal and state policies that then precipitate more of their own activities and further public funding.

 

Open the Books compiled state spending figures through our California checkbook, a collection of line-by-line expenditures across state-level entities.

 

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