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Non-profit

Alianza Americas

Location:

CHICAGO, IL
Tax ID:

34-2066826
Budget (2020):

Revenue: $1,491,416
Expenses: $1,431,281
Assets: $1,468,074

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Alianza America is an illegal immigration advocacy organization operating out of Chicago, San Francisco, and El Salvador.

Controversies

In October 2022, the National Legal and Policy Center filed a complaint with the IRS against Alianza claiming that its 2019 and 2020 990 forms failed to disclose “extensive lobbying activities” despite Alianza claiming it had not conducted lobbying within that period of time. 1 On the same tax forms, Alianza states it had advocated in favor of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for immigrants, claiming it had “visited Congress over 200 times,” “brought TPS holders “to policymakers in Congress,” and held “two congressional briefings” in DC to discuss immigration issues including TPS. 2 Laurie Styron, the executive director of watchdog group CharityWatch, commented to the Washington Examiner, “Public charities are not supposed to be engaging in substantial lobbying activities, and they risk their tax-exempt status when they don’t follow the rules.” 3

In January 2023, The Washington Examiner reported that Alianza had failed to disclose its 2021 990 tax forms to the news outlet within the required 30-day period under IRS rules after the outlet had placed several requests to view the 2021 tax forms in November and December 2022. According to National Legal and Policy Center counsel Paul Kamenar, the breach in IRS ruling means the organization “could be subject to daily fines of up to a maximum of $10,000 and a personal penalty of $1,000.” 4 In addition, it was reported that the organization might have lobbied in 2021, which would be present on its tax forms for that year. 5 In October 2022 Republican Reps. Chip Roy (R-TX) and Beth Van Duyne (R-TX) wrote a joint letter to the Department of Health and Human Services requesting, “a review of all grants received by Alianza Americas as well as the publicly disclosed actions taken by Alianza Americas that would be in violation of the law and federal regulations,” 6 due to fears that the organization, which received $8.5 million in federal grant money from the HHS in 2021, had used federal grants in lobbying that same year. 7

Activities

According to news site Al Dia, in January 2021 Alianza, along with members of Oxfam and Center for American Progress (CAP), met with Democratic Rep. Darren Soto (D-FL) and Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) to discuss expanding TPS in countries affected by Hurricanes Iota and Eta in 2020. 8

In October 2021, Alianza’s twitter page posted a press release from the U.S Department of Justice detailing how rising corruption in Central American countries such as Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador correlate with rising migration numbers. 9 10
In the same post, Alianza stated that “Congress must pass legislation that grants permanent protections to immigrants including TPS recipients, DACA holders, farmworkers, and essential workers, and thus help stabilize Central American nations.” 11

On September 12, 2022, Alianza and immigration advocacy organization United We Dream met with Democratic Representatives Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Grace Meng (D-NY) as part of a “#DefundHate” campaign for the purpose of encouraging members of Congress to help defund both the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). 12

On September 20, 2022, legal services group Lawyers for Civil Rights, on behalf of Alianza Americas and several migrant-led organizations, filed a class action lawsuit against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Secretary of Florida Department of Transportation Jared Perdue, and the state of Florida for, “fraudulently inducing a group of nearly 50 people to cross state lines on airplanes from San Antonio, Texas, to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts.” 13 14 As of January 2023, the lawsuit is ongoing. 15

Funding

Between 2016 and 2019, Alianza received over $1.4 million from grantmaking nonprofit network Open Society Foundation, owned by Hungarian-born American philanthropist George Soros. 16 According to the organization’s latest tax filings, Open Society Foundation donated an additional $350,000 to Alianza in 2021. 17

Alianza has received roughly $8.5 million in federal grants from the U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). 18 Several Republican Representatives, including Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) and Rep. Beth Van Duyne (R-TX), and former HHS chief of staff under President Trump Brian Harrison have requested the HHS inspector general to conduct an audit to see if the money donated had been used in lobbying. 19 Harrison further commented to the Washington Examiner, “the American people deserve to know if the Biden administration knowingly gave their hard-earned money to an organization to illegally promote disastrous open border policies.” 20

Between 2008 and 2020, Alianza has received roughly $1,260,000 in grants from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation towards areas including Journalism and Media, Migration, and the MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions. 21

References

  1. Kaminsky, Gabe. “Soros-backed charity that may have ‘violated’ federal law still appears to be lobbying, experts say.” Washington Examiner, November 22, 2022. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/immigration/soros-charity-lobbying-alianza-americas
  2. Kaminsky, Gabe. “Soros-backed charity that may have ‘violated’ federal law still appears to be lobbying, experts say.” Washington Examiner, November 22, 2022. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/immigration/soros-charity-lobbying-alianza-americas
  3. Kaminsky, Gabe. “Soros-backed charity that may have ‘violated’ federal law still appears to be lobbying, experts say.” Washington Examiner, November 22, 2022. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/immigration/soros-charity-lobbying-alianza-americas
  4. Kaminsky, Gabe. “Soros-backed open borders group suing Ron DeSantis violates federal law.” The Washington Examiner, January 15, 2023. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/immigration/george-soros-backed-nonprofit-breaks-law-alianza-americas
  5. Kaminsky, Gabe. “Soros-backed open borders group suing Ron DeSantis violates federal law.” The Washington Examiner, January 15, 2023. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/immigration/george-soros-backed-nonprofit-breaks-law-alianza-americas
  6. Kaminsky, Gabe. “Soros-backed open borders group suing Ron DeSantis violates federal law.” The Washington Examiner, January 15, 2023. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/immigration/george-soros-backed-nonprofit-breaks-law-alianza-americas
  7. Kaminsky, Gabe. “Soros-backed open borders group suing Ron DeSantis violates federal law.” The Washington Examiner, January 15, 2023. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/immigration/george-soros-backed-nonprofit-breaks-law-alianza-americas
  8. Kaminsky, Gabe. “Soros-backed charity that may have ‘violated’ federal law still appears to be lobbying, experts say.” Washington Examiner, November 22, 2022. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/immigration/soros-charity-lobbying-alianza-americas
  9. ALIANZA AMERICAS (@ALIANZAAMERICAS). “Congress must pass legislation that grants permanent protections to immigrants including TPS recipients, DACA holders, farmworkers, and essential workers, and thus help stabilize Central American nations. 4/4.”Twitter, October 15, 2021. https://twitter.com/ALIANZAAMERICAS/status/1449114153839472646
  10. “Justice Department Anticorruption Task Force Launches New Measures to Combat Corruption in Central America.” United States Department of Justice, October 15, 2021. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-anticorruption-task-force-launches-new-measures-combat-corruption-central
  11. ALIANZA AMERICAS (@ALIANZAAMERICAS). “Congress must pass legislation that grants permanent protections to immigrants including TPS recipients, DACA holders, farmworkers, and essential workers, and thus help stabilize Central American nations. 4/4.”Twitter, October 15, 2021. https://twitter.com/ALIANZAAMERICAS/status/1449114153839472646
  12. Kaminsky, Gabe. “Soros-backed charity that may have ‘violated’ federal law still appears to be lobbying, experts say.” Washington Examiner, November 22, 2022. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/immigration/soros-charity-lobbying-alianza-americas
  13. “Lawsuit Against DeSantis Seeks to Halt All Fraudulent Relocations of Migrants.” Alianza Americas, Accessed February 21, 2023. https://www.alianzaamericas.org/press-release/lawsuit-against-desantis-seeks-to-halt-all-fraudulent-relocations-of-migrants/?lang=en
  14. Legum, Jared (@juddlegum). “BREAKING: Migrants flown to Massachusetts file class action lawsuit against DeSantis and other Florida officials in federal court.” Twitter, September 20, 2022. https://twitter.com/juddlegum/status/1572319313813721089?s=21&t=BzRbkNyIPh6BD-5x6VxdFA
  15. “Soros-backed open borders group suing Ron DeSantis violates federal law.” The Washington Examiner, January 15, 2023. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/immigration/george-soros-backed-nonprofit-breaks-law-alianza-americas
  16. Kaminsky, Gabe. “Soros-backed charity that may have ‘violated’ federal law still appears to be lobbying, experts say.” Washington Examiner, November 22, 2022. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/immigration/soros-charity-lobbying-alianza-americas
  17. Kaminsky, Gabe. “George Soros pumps more cash into nonprofit group that may have violated federal law.” The Washington Examiner, January 10, 2023. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/george-soros-pumps-more-cash-into-nonprofit-alianza-americas
  18. Kaminsky, Gabe. “Soros-backed charity that may have ‘violated’ federal law still appears to be lobbying, experts say.” Washington Examiner, November 22, 2022. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/immigration/soros-charity-lobbying-alianza-americas
  19. Kaminsky, Gabe. “Soros-backed nonprofit group may have illegally used federal grants: GOP.” Washington Examiner, October 22, 2022. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/bidens-hhs-may-have-illegally-given-millions-to-soros-nonprofit
  20. Kaminsky, Gabe. “Soros-backed charity that may have ‘violated’ federal law still appears to be lobbying, experts say.” Washington Examiner, November 22, 2022. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/immigration/soros-charity-lobbying-alianza-americas
  21. “Alianza Americas.” MacArthur Foundation, Accessed February 21, 2023. https://www.macfound.org/grantee/alianza-americas-41469/
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: December - November
  • Tax Exemption Received: July 1, 2007

    • Available Filings

    Period Form Type Total revenue Total functional expenses Total assets (EOY) Total liabilities (EOY) Unrelated business income? Total contributions Program service revenue Investment income Comp. of current officers, directors, etc. Form 990
    2020 Dec Form 990 $1,491,416 $1,431,281 $1,468,074 $97,330 N $1,437,869 $0 $240 $107,277
    2019 Dec Form 990 $1,581,754 $1,293,529 $1,443,811 $234,649 N $1,387,854 $132,016 $24,891 $106,671 PDF
    2018 Dec Form 990 $1,085,527 $976,549 $1,502,288 $581,351 N $914,343 $34,336 $-12,948 $110,281 PDF
    2017 Dec Form 990 $606,226 $737,133 $939,805 $127,846 N $546,432 $0 $20,966 $103,208 PDF
    2016 Dec Form 990 $1,220,158 $652,033 $1,008,774 $65,908 N $1,162,399 $41,388 $7,214 $99,373
    2015 Dec Form 990 $337,279 $549,573 $381,672 $6,931 N $291,597 $47,100 $-2,790 $98,237 PDF
    2014 Dec Form 990 $757,905 $673,425 $598,420 $11,385 N $672,093 $77,000 $5,023 $94,017 PDF
    2013 Dec Form 990 $125,801 $598,290 $510,130 $7,575 N $88,075 $23,000 $9,833 $92,628 PDF
    2012 Dec Form 990 $1,057,017 $527,674 $999,151 $24,107 N $1,056,111 $0 $906 $92,628 PDF
    2011 Dec Form 990 $10,213 $512,036 $469,752 $24,051 N $8,575 $0 $928 $0 PDF

    Additional Filings (PDFs)

    Alianza Americas

    1638 S BLUE ISLAND AVE
    CHICAGO, IL 60608-2134