The explosive unrest rocking Los Angeles and other major cities over Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations has triggered a new political firestorm—not just over the violence, but over who’s paying for it.

At the center of the controversy is Crowds on Demand, a California-based company known for supplying paid demonstrators. The company confirmed to Fox News Digital that it was approached with “numerous high-budget requests” to help stage anti-ICE demonstrations. But in a stunning disclosure, they said they refused the jobs, citing concerns about illegality, violence, and a general refusal to “get close to any form of illegal activity.”

“We receive inquiries regarding practically every major social cause imaginable, and the anti-ICE demonstrations are no exception,” a company spokesperson said, adding they only back “impactful commonsense causes” from both sides of the political aisle. In this case, the situation was deemed too volatile—even for a company built around protest theater.

What Crowds on Demand turned down may have been picked up by others, and that’s where the story takes a sharp turn toward the political.

Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO), chair of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime & Terrorism, has launched a federal investigation into who is funding the riots. At the top of his list is CHIRLA—the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights—an advocacy group that reportedly provided “logistical support and financial resources” to demonstrators in LA, according to Hawley’s letter.

“If true, that would constitute aiding and abetting criminal conduct,” Hawley wrote. “You must immediately cease and desist any further involvement in the organization, funding or promotion of these unlawful activities.”

California Rep. Kevin Kiley (R) has also raised the alarm, citing CHIRLA’s past efforts to abolish ICE and its apparent role in tipping off protestors to ICE operations in real time. He also pointed out a massive conflict of interest that’s raising eyebrows across the state: “The ‘nonprofit’ behind the LA riots donated almost $500,000 to support Newsom’s campaign. It then received $34 million in state funding,” Kiley posted on X. “I’m sure this is all a coincidence.”

IRS records show CHIRLA received three grants from the Biden administration totaling $750,000. Another group, the Million Voter Project—which worked to block Newsom’s recall and has supported anti-ICE protests—also received a portion of the funds.

Whether these funds were directly tied to riot-related activities remains unclear, but lawmakers are demanding accountability. Hawley has already signaled that the FBI is on alert, confirming the agency will investigate “any evidence of a criminal conspiracy.”

Despite the financial trail, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass insists there’s no evidence of political coordination behind the riots, even though her office has now imposed a downtown curfew and pledged to prosecute anyone who breaks it.

“I have been abundantly clear that what is happening on our streets is unacceptable,” Bass said. “Looting is criminal behavior. People will be arrested and prosecuted.”

But critics aren’t buying the sudden crackdown. “This isn’t spontaneous,” said Hawley. “This is orchestrated chaos.”

If CHIRLA or similar groups are proven to have funded or supported the violence, it could ignite a legal and political reckoning—especially given the millions in taxpayer dollars flowing to these entities.

As federal investigators follow the money, the anti-ICE riots may turn out to be about more than just immigration enforcement. They could be the latest flashpoint in a deeper war over public safety, political corruption, and weaponized activism funded from the top down.