Part 3/11:
Despite its benign-sounding name, CHIRLA received approximately $34 million in government grants during the 2023 fiscal year, predominantly from California state funds. These funds are ostensibly allocated for legal support, deportation defense, DACA, citizenship applications, and services for undocumented students. However, the disparities become evident upon scrutiny: CHIRLA also received $450,000 in federal funding from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) between 2021 and 2024 for citizenship education and training—directly contradicting its purpose of supporting enforcement against illegal immigration. Notably, under the Trump administration, DHS clawed back over $100,000 from similar funding, emphasizing the political contradictions at play.