Blue state GOP lawmaker says major sanctuary city lawsuit is 'encouraging,' but urges further crackdown

Fox News

02-07-2025

California Republican Rep. Kevin Kiley praised the Department of Justice's lawsuit against Los Angeles's sanctuary policies as "encouraging" while stressing the underlying need for more congressional action in the wake of the anti-ICE protests and riots in the city.
The DOJ on Monday announced the lawsuit, which makes the argument that the city's policies "impede" federal immigration authorities and that ICE agents are specifically discriminated against.
"I think that the lawsuit is encouraging, because, when you just look at what's going on here, you have a state policy, and in the case of LA, a city policy, that's whole purpose is to interfere with the operations of the federal government, pursuant to the policies of a duly enacted president, which is not the way our system works," the Republican told Fox News Digital in an interview.
"Immigration is under the province of the federal government. That is the constitutional responsibility of the federal government, and the supremacy clause suggests that states and localities cannot act to contravene the federal government in enforcing federal law," Kiley added.
The civil unrest in Los Angeles in June as ICE conducted operations in the region prompted Kiley to introduce the "No Tax Dollars for Riots Act," specifically taking aim at nonprofit groups that received taxpayer dollars, but he says could have played a role in "organizing unlawful riots."
"It's called the No Tax Dollars for Riots Act. Pretty common sense idea. Really not something we should have to legislate on, but unfortunately, we have seen examples like we just witnessed in L.A.," he said, adding that groups found "aiding and abetting riots" would lose their ability to get taxpayer-funded grants and lose their tax-exempt status under his bill.
The Coalition for Human Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA) is now the subject of a GOP-led congressional investigation, as the group strongly denies any ties to the violence that unfolded on the streets of LA. Kiley specifically pointed to the group's $34 million in taxpayer funding, largely from the Golden State, as inspiration for the legislation.
"Let us be clear, these congressional letters are a coordinated effort to prevent us from doing the good and peaceful work that's part of the CHIRLA way since its inception in 1986 — when we were founded to serve, represent, and uplift immigrants in the United States with the purpose of ensuring justice for all. The CHIRLA way has been visible daily since day one but now we represent a threat to the current administration's racist and anti-immigrant agenda," Angelica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, said in a statement on Monday about the congressional investigation.
"These threats, including the false and baseless allegations of wrongdoing, will not stop our momentum. We will remain visible, undeterred, and more committed than ever to our mission. Our mandate is to serve the community because they need and deserve it. That has been and will continue to be the CHIRLA way," she continued.
President Donald Trump publicly endorsed Kiley's proposal on Saturday.
"CONGRESSMAN KEVIN KILEY'S, 'NO TAX DOLLARS FOR RIOTS' legislation, should be passed immediately. I am hereby instructing my Administration not to pay ANY money to these radicalized groups, regardless of the legislation. They get paid to incite riots, burn down or destroy a city, then come back to the trough to get money to help rebuild it. NO MORE MONEY!!!" the president posted to Truth Social.