The organization selected for a significant grant from the Biden administration is now counseling undocumented immigrants on evading deportation. Positive Behavior (CAA) and its affiliate, which focuses on combating anti-Asian hate, have been granted $2 million from the Department of Justice (DOJ) for 2024. Their current initiatives include distributing materials that guide illegal immigrants on how to handle encounters with ICE agents.
Located in San Francisco, CAA positions itself as a “progressive voice” for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs). Their mission emphasizes advocating for systemic changes that uphold immigrant rights, celebrate linguistic diversity, and address racial injustices. In response to rising anti-Asian sentiment during the Covid-19 pandemic, the group has joined forces with the AAPI Equity Alliance to form the Stop AAPI Hate Coalition.
The DOJ grant is meant to support various efforts, including research implementation and digital media outreach against AAPI hate. Some critics argue that these activities contradict U.S. interests. Since the Trump administration took office, these organizations have actively circulated resources to assist undocumented individuals during ICE interactions.
CAA’s website advises people to keep their doors shut, not to answer questions, refrain from showing identification, and to contact a rapid response hotline in San Francisco to report ICE activities. They warn against carrying any foreign documents, such as passports, as these could be used against them.
Stop AAPI Hate has condemned the previous administration’s deportation policies, claiming they threatened the dignity and safety of immigrant communities. The coalition has likened the administration’s approach to the treatment of Japanese Americans during World War II.
Further complicating matters, they have criticized incidents such as the recent anti-ICE riots in Los Angeles, which resulted in substantial damages, alleging that the Trump administration utilized excessive and provocative tactics that increased public anxiety.
On July 7, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit from CAA and other groups that sought to restore funding that had been cut by the Trump administration. Neither the CAA nor Stop AAPI Hate responded to inquiries for comment.
In March, a virtual town hall hosted by AAPI Hate featured a speaker who candidly discussed his undocumented status and criminal background. He had served a lengthy prison sentence for robbery and was known to have a complicated legal history, raising questions about his portrayal as a victim of the system.
Kenny Nuguen, who oversees advocacy at AAPI Hate, highlighted the pervasive climate of fear among immigrants, emphasizing that narratives vary widely—good immigrants versus bad immigrants—and that many feel they deserve to be here.
Interestingly, investigations by AAPI Hate have found that a significant number of adults oppose the expansion of ICE authority and the targeting of undocumented immigrants. This reflects a complex perspective within the community about immigration enforcement.
Moreover, there’s been ongoing scrutiny of how organizations such as the Chinese American Planning Council, receiving considerable federal funding, have operated. Reports suggest that some of these entities might be instructing audiences on how to bypass ICE arrests while also maintaining ties to foreign influences.
According to immigration policy data, there were about 390,000 undocumented immigrants from China in the U.S. as of 2019. Recently,encounters at the border involving individuals from the People’s Republic of China have surged under the Biden administration, signaling potential shifts in immigration patterns.
