Los Angeles has become a battleground as anti-ICE protests spiral into chaos, with the FBI now digging into whether foreign money is fueling the flames of violence, Just The News reported.
What started as peaceful rallies against immigration raids last week has exploded into riots over the weekend, marked by over 1,000 rioters attacking officers, torching vehicles, looting businesses, and even shutting down a city highway.
These demonstrations began in response to several high-profile immigration operations in L.A., drawing initial support from groups like the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), which organized early protests alongside unions and other activist networks.
By the weekend, the scene turned ugly, with rioters hurling concrete rocks at law enforcement and images of burning cars alongside Mexican and other foreign flags spreading like wildfire across the nation.
These visuals have caught the eye of the Trump administration and congressional Republicans, who are raising alarms about potential outside influence. “They hate this country, and they want to turn it into a Third World hellhole,” said Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz.., pointing fingers at foreign rhetoric—yet, isn’t it worth asking if such heated words risk overshadowing the real policy failures at our borders?
The FBI, led by Director Kash Patel, isn’t wasting time, announcing a deep dive into the financial networks behind these protests. “The FBI is investigating any monetary connections responsible for these riots,” Patel declared, signaling a no-nonsense approach to uncovering who’s bankrolling the bedlam.
Questions are mounting about foreign involvement, especially with resurfaced footage of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum threatening to “mobilize” over U.S. policies on remittances—a statement some see as fanning the flames. Sheinbaum condemned the violence on Monday while reaffirming support for Mexicans regardless of status, but critics argue her words offer little clarity on her government’s role.
Closer to home, the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), a Marxist outfit with reported links to the Chinese Communist Party, was active in the early protests that turned violent. With ties to the Singham Network—a web of nonprofits and media backed by pro-CCP businessman Neville Roy Singham, who resides in Shanghai—PSL’s involvement raises eyebrows about geopolitical agendas sneaking into American streets.
Singham, whose fortune stems from a $785 million software company sale, reportedly channels funds into activist hubs like the People’s Forum in Manhattan, alongside pro-China outlets. If true, this financial web could be a backdoor for foreign influence, undermining genuine domestic grievances with a more sinister playbook.
Then there’s CHIRLA, a key player in the initial rallies, which has raked in nearly $34 million in taxpayer money from California for immigration services in the last fiscal year alone. Add to that federal grants from the Biden administration—totaling $193,030 before being cut off by the Trump team in March—and it’s hard not to wonder if public funds are indirectly stoking unrest. DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin confirmed the termination, stating, “Under Trump and Secretary Noem, we terminated this in March.”
CHIRLA insists they’re not behind the violence, with a spokesperson clarifying, “We have not participated, coordinated, or been part of the protests being registered in Los Angeles other than the press conference and rally cited above.” Still, when 96% of your revenue comes from state coffers, shouldn’t there be tighter oversight on how influence is wielded?
Meanwhile, former FBI Executive Assistant Director Chris Piehota predicts a crackdown on these networks. “You’re gonna see the FBI make a much more aggressive push to cut off their funding and logistics,” he said, targeting what he calls professional troublemakers jetting around the country to stir chaos—a refreshing reminder that law enforcement isn’t just playing catch-up.
As if L.A.’s streets aren’t tense enough, planned protests nationwide on June 14 could pour more fuel on the fire, coinciding with a military parade in Washington, D.C., ordered by President Trump to mark the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary.
An activist alliance called “No Kings” is organizing a “Day of Defiance” on the same day, decrying what they see as authoritarian overreach, with statements like, “We reject fear as governance.” While their intent may be peaceful, mixing anti-ICE fervor with broader anti-Trump sentiment risks more clashes, hardly the unity they claim to champion.