A conservative watchdog group is pushing federal regulators to investigate and strip a non-profit organization of its status over allegedly backing anti-ICE agitators.
The Center to Advance Security in America (CASA) is asking the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to investigate Cooperation Cannon River (CCR), a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit based in Minnesota, for its financial sponsorship of demonstrators who’ve allegedly advocated obstructing federal immigration enforcement operations and promoting violent protests, according to a letter obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation. The demand follows pledges by the Trump administration to get tough on rioters.
The complaint centers around CCR’s support of Defend the 612, a group heavily involved in the anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protests that have swept Minneapolis since early January.
“Cooperation Cannon River is the fiscal sponsor of ‘Defend the 612,’ which engages in various social media communications encouraging interference with federal immigration enforcement operations throughout the greater Minneapolis, MN area,” CASA Director James Fitzpatrick told the DCNF. “‘Defend the 612’ also insinuates the use of potentially violent tactics against ICE through its advertisements.”
“Due to the many potential violations of federal law, including the obstruction of federal law enforcement officers, we believe the IRS should initiate a review of the tax-exempt status of this fiscal sponsor, and if evidence exists that they are in fact crossing into illegal activity, their status should be revoked,” Fitzpatrick continued.
A spokesperson for Defend the 612 did not respond to a request for comment from the DCNF.
CCR, a Minnesota-based organization that focuses on social and environmental justice, officially became exempt from federal income taxes in March 2020, according to IRS documentation. Overlap between CCR and Defend the 612 is apparent in at least one donation page, with organizers claiming donations would “immediately” help buy vests for protesters, anti-ICE patrols around neighborhoods and other activist activity “as this occupation continues.”
Defend the 612 has seemingly encouraged the public to obstruct federal immigration enforcement actions, such as social media posts telling followers to “Honk and whistle at the sight of masked kidnappers, to be the first line of alert, and draw a crowd.” The group has also posted action training advertisements in which they claim to teach how to “stop ICE and build a revolution.”
The group has also been promoted by at least one Democratic politician, Minneapolis City Council President Elliott Payne, who urged the public in January to visit the Defend the 612’s website to learn how to get involved in anti-ICE activism around Minneapolis.
CCR has received financial support from the Tides Foundation, a mega-fund that itself enjoyed funding from the Open Society Foundation, an organization founded by liberal billionaire George Soros. The Tides Foundation contributed at least $10,000 to Cooperation Cannon River, according to financial statements. The Tides Foundation also dumped money into the Minnesota Freedom Fund in 2020 during the George Floyd Riots.
“Through their fiscal sponsorship of ‘Defend the 612’ which advocates for the interference with federal immigration enforcement operations through their various social media communications outlined above, CCR [Cooperation Cannon River] appears to be engaging in illegal activity,” CASA stated to the IRS.
“First, CCR may be in violation of federal laws, which make it unlawful to obstruct federal law enforcement officers, obstruct or interfere with federal immigration enforcement, or harbor or conceal illegal aliens,” CASA’s letter continued. “Second, through their fiscal sponsorship of ‘Defend the 612’ CCR appears to be in violation of federal laws which prevent threatening federal law enforcement officers.”
The Department of Homeland Security surged federal immigration enforcement across Minnesota in recent days, prompting pushback from local Democrats and violent left-wing protesters. Tensions in the city rapidly escalated after a deadly shooting involving an ICE agent, causing widespread protests.
Amid the mayhem, video footage captured violent mobs in the state destroying an ICE vehicle and rioters looting other federal vehicles, stealing equipment and other items inside. President Donald Trump has since threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act if local leaders don’t do enough to squash the unrest.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact [email protected].
