A watchdog group is challenging the tax-exempt status of a nonprofit that’s raked in cash from Chinese government-linked sources.
The Center to Advance Security in America (CASA) filed a complaint Monday with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), expressing concerns over the Chinese-American Planning Council’s (CPC) tax-exempt status, the Daily Caller News Foundation exclusively learned. The complaint marks the latest speed bump for the CPC, a New York City nonprofit organization, after undercover video footage appeared to show one of its seminars teaching audience members how to avoid deportation officers.
“We have several concerns regarding CPC’s compliance with federal law regarding tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) including but not limited to coaching illegal immigrants on how to avoid Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) apprehension and assisting in the facilitation of illegal immigration,” James Fitzpatrick, director of CASA, wrote to the Acting IRS Commissioner Michael Faulkender Monday.
“We are also concerned that CPC is using Chinese government-linked sources to assist in the funding of these potentially illegal activities,” Fitzpatrick continued. “Given the severity of our concerns and the potential violation of federal law, a thorough investigation into CPC’s potential violations of federal law and their ties to Chinese government-linked funding sources to assist in the execution of these potentially illegal activities is warranted.”
The CPC did not respond to a request for comment from the DCNF.
Established in 1965, the CPC promotes the interests of Chinese-American, immigrant and low income communities in New York City, according to its website. The group bills itself as the country’s largest Asian American social services organization that provides more than 50 “high-quality” programs at numerous sites across Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan.
“By law, federal employees cannot disclose tax return information, including confirming or denying that we are or are not examining or investigating a particular entity,” an IRS spokesperson stated when reached for comment.
Things began to get rocky for CPC when the Oversight Project — an investigative organization formerly connected with the Heritage Foundation — released video footage in April appearing to show the nonprofit’s employees coaching audience members on best practices to avoid ICE apprehension.
In response to the undercover footage, the House Homeland Security Committee later that month launched an investigation into the CPC, demanding the NYC nonprofit hand over documentation and communication relating to its immigration seminars and explain to the committee how roughly one million dollars in taxpayer funds were used in the past several years.
The Oversight Project filmed Carlyn Cowen, the CPC’s chief policy and public affairs officer, appearing to explain to an audience how to avoid immigration officials during a seminar. Janice Northia, a community engagement manager from the New York Immigration Coalition, was also filmed giving an explainer on how to identify and minimize contact with ICE agents.
Roughly 55% of the group’s total revenue comes from federal and state government grants, according to the House Homeland Security Committee. The CPC has been awarded over $1.4 million in direct federal grants from the Department of Health and Human Services since 2022, and may have received more federal funding awarded through New York State.
While it’s legal for local and non-state actors to refuse to assist ICE agents, blatant obstruction of federal immigration efforts is against the law — and border czar Tom Homan has made clear he will use his authority to hold violators responsible. Attorney General Pam Bondi has additionally called for investigations into organizations that provide assistance to illegal migrants.
“It’s bad enough for a far-left group to help those who break our laws evade apprehension by law enforcement — but it’s an abject travesty if even one cent of taxpayer dollars funded it,” Tennessee Rep. Mark Green and Oklahoma Rep. Josh Brecheen, the GOP lawmakers heading the congressional investigation, said to the DCNF. “Taxpayers had to foot the bill for the historic border crisis for too long, and many even paid with their lives.”
A subsequent DCNF investigation in May found that money flowed from Chinese government-linked entities’ coffers into the CPC.
The NYC nonprofit has received as much as $445,969 in donations from sources with ties to the Chinese government since 2018, according to financial records reviewed by the DCNF. State-run enterprises such as Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) and Bank of China as well as other entities connected to the Chinese Community Party (CCP) have doled out financial assistance to the CPC in recent years, records show.
CASA cited the anti-ICE seminars and the Chinese government-linked cash as reasons for the IRS to conduct a review of the group’s tax-exempt status.
“While foreign donations for 501(c)(3) organizations within the United States are generally permissible, our concern is regarding the foreign donor organizations’ ties to the Chinese government and any potential connection between the Chinese government and the potentially illegal activity that CPC engages in, particularly since the alleged illegal conduct involves assisting foreign illegal aliens from evading enforcement action,” Fitzpatrick stated.
“Based on the above allegations and the evidence provided in support; we believe that the American people are entitled to a full investigation into this urgent matter,” the CASA director continued.
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