Kamala Harris donated to an organization promoting 'defund the police'
The Democratic candidate also financially backed Legal Aid DC, an NGO that supports the Black Lives Matter movement and other progressive policies such as sanctuary cities.
Kamala Harris in Philadelphia
In the midst of the scrutiny of the 2024 election campaign, documents were revealed showing that Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, donated money to a progressive organization that seeks to reduce police funding and turn Washington, D.C., into a permanent "sanctuary city" for illegal immigrants.
According to a review of financial disclosures by The Washington Examiner, Harris and Emhoff donated $1,000 in both 2021 and 2023 to Legal Aid DC, a nonprofit organization that provides housing legal services to low-income clients in the nation's capital.
Legal Aid DC and its positions
In 2020, during the riots sparked by the death of George Floyd, Legal Aid DC released a statement supporting the protests and questioning any increased police presence in the city's public housing. Amanda Korber, housing attorney for Legal Aid DC, expressed concern about solutions involving increased policing, mirroring the sentiment of the Black Lives Matter movement.
In subsequent years, Legal Aid DC continued its support for progressive policies. In 2021, it promoted a social media post glorifying the Black Lives Matter movement and criticizing differential police perceptions of left- and right-wing protesters. It also supported a bill restricting cooperation between local agencies and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), seeking to protect immigrants from being detained in courthouses and other public areas.
Harris' support for 'defund the police'
The disclosure of these donations comes at a pivotal time for Harris, who faces criticism for her past support of the "defund the police" movement and her handling of the border crisis. Despite having modified several of her policy positions after being named the Democratic nominee, evidence of her financial support for Legal Aid DC raises questions about her current ties to progressive activists.
Ira Mehlman, spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, stated that the United States has repeatedly experienced "the consequences of sanctuary policies" and criticized Harris' stance, noting that she "do[es] not want our immigration laws enforced and they’re prepared to let criminals walk rather than turning them over to ICE to be removed."
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