The protest against the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that started in Los Angeles, California, is not merely an impulsive protest but rather a highly organized movement.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has begun tracking the flow of funds that have entered the protest.

U.S. media outlets, including Fox News, reported on the 12th that FBI Director General Kash Patel said, "The FBI is investigating all monetary connections related to this riot, particularly looking closely at the possibility of involvement by China."

On the 14th, at the federal courthouse located on Las Vegas Boulevard South in Las Vegas, protesters hold the American flag upside down during the 'Opposition to Kings' protest rally. /Courtesy of Yonhap News Agency

The protest in the U.S. is strongly grassroots in nature, primarily operated through voluntary participation and small donations. During the George Floyd protests in 2020, the Black Lives Matter (BLM) foundation raised $90 million (approximately 12.3 billion won) in small personal donations. The Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue also managed to obtain up to $20 million (approximately 2.7 billion won) in small donations in a single day.

Funds received through donations are mainly used to purchase small protest equipment such as banners and loudspeakers. When funds are insufficient, there is often reliance on support from nonprofit organizations or social movements that align with the protest theme.

The FBI noted that the recent LA protest began as an initial peaceful demonstration but soon transformed into a large-scale riot with over 1,000 participants. According to the FBI, some of the protestors exhibited organized resistance to law enforcement by assaulting immigration law enforcement officers, setting fire to autonomous vehicles, looting stores, blocking highways, and throwing concrete.

On the 9th, in downtown Los Angeles, protesters burn a Waymo vehicle. /Courtesy of Yonhap News Agency

The FBI has focused on the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), one of the groups involved in the protest. This organization has been said to possibly have links to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). It was also involved in the recent protests against Israel that swept through college campuses.

The PSL is also connected to the "Singham Network." The Singham Network is associated with pro-China billionaire IT entrepreneur Neville Roy Singham. Singham became wealthy after founding the IT consulting company Thoughtworks in the late 1980s.

He sold this company for $785 million (approximately 1 trillion won) in 2017 and poured the profits into more than 12 left-leaning nonprofit organizations. The People's Forum, a communist-aligned organization located in Manhattan, New York, is a representative example.

The People's Forum openly advocates for the policies of the Chinese Communist Party and holds events praising the Chinese socialist system. The PSL actively participated in the Shut It Down for Palestine movement led by the People's Forum.

Singham currently resides in Shanghai, China, and is volunteering to be a conduit through which the Chinese Communist Party strengthens its geopolitical influence. His wife, Jody Evans, is a co-founder of the radical left organization Code Pink. Since 2020, Code Pink has been carrying out the campaign "China Is Not Our Enemy."

Scott Bessent, the U.S. Treasury Secretary (left), shakes hands with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng (right) during the U.S.-China bilateral meeting held on May 10, 2025, in Geneva. /Courtesy of Yonhap News Agency

The U.S. Congress has expressed deep concerns about the link between these protests and China.

Republican Representative Anna Paulina Luna announced on the 11th that the House Oversight Committee would demand the submission of an official document regarding the reasons for Singham's funding of communist organizations linked to the Chinese Communist Party.

Representative Luna warned, "If Singham refuses to attend, we will issue a subpoena, and if he ignores it, we will request prosecution from the Department of Justice."

A security surveillance camera overlooking a street is pictured next to a nearby fluttering flag of China in Beijing. /Courtesy of Reuters

No clear evidence has yet been presented that the Chinese government has directly intervened in the LA protest.

However, the German Marshall Fund (GMFUS) analyzed in a report that "foreign hostile forces, including China, are using this unrest to create chaos within the United States."

China issued a safety alert to its citizens during the protest, advising them to avoid the protest site in LA, as well as crowded areas and night outings. This raised interpretations that China is closely monitoring the protest situation in the U.S. and may seek to leverage it for its own interests.