California Shifted Wildfire Victim Money to Anti-Deportation Riot Control, State Finance Records Show

California shifted more than $14 million from a fund established to help victims of the January 2025 wildfires toward the state's response to anti-deportation protests later that year, according to records from the California Department of Finance reviewed by the Washington Examiner.

The funds in question were drawn from a wildfire relief account created under Gov. Gavin Newsom following the Los Angeles-area fires that destroyed thousands of homes and displaced tens of thousands of residents in the opening weeks of 2025. Finance department records indicate the redirection occurred as the state mobilized resources in response to civil unrest tied to federal immigration enforcement operations in the summer of 2025.

The Washington Examiner, which reviewed the Department of Finance records, reported the total diverted exceeded $14 million. The records characterize the spending as related to "crowd management" during what California officials described as anti-deportation demonstrations. The report did not specify which agency received the funds or provide a breakdown of how the money was spent.

Newsom's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the reported diversion. The governor's administration has characterized its response to the 2025 immigration protests as a public safety matter.

The disclosure comes as the state faces ongoing scrutiny over its handling of both the wildfire recovery and its broader resistance to federal immigration enforcement.

The January 2025 fires in the Los Angeles area ranked among the most destructive in California's recorded history. According to state estimates, the blazes destroyed more than 16,000 structures and caused tens of billions of dollars in damage across Los Angeles County. The Newsom administration established the wildfire relief fund to channel state resources toward displaced residents, debris removal, and rebuilding assistance.

The anti-ICE protests that erupted later in 2025 followed stepped-up federal immigration enforcement operations in California cities. The protests, which were at times accompanied by violence and property damage, drew a substantial state law enforcement response. The Newsom administration declared a state of emergency in some areas and deployed the California Highway Patrol to multiple locations.

The diversion raises questions about how states account for restricted relief funds and whether federal guidelines governing disaster relief money — including any federal matching funds — were implicated. Wildfire relief accounts that incorporate federal disaster appropriations are typically subject to the Stafford Act and related oversight provisions, which restrict the use of funds to declared disaster purposes.

It is not yet clear whether any federal dollars were among the funds diverted or whether the California Department of Finance has initiated a review of the redirection.

Congressional Republicans have been scrutinizing state use of disaster relief funding in the wake of several high-profile diversions. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) and other California Republicans have previously raised concerns about the Newsom administration's management of wildfire response funds.

The California primary election takes place Tuesday, with the gubernatorial race drawing national attention. Newsom, who is term-limited and frequently mentioned as a potential 2028 presidential candidate, is not on the ballot, but his administration's record on wildfire recovery and immigration enforcement has become a central issue in the race.

Separate from the diversion question, state and local officials have faced persistent criticism from fire survivors over the pace of debris removal and permitting for rebuilding. Several affected communities reported that as of mid-2026, a substantial share of destroyed properties had not received clearance to begin reconstruction.

Whether the $14 million diversion violated any state or federal restrictions on the use of disaster relief funds, and what review, if any, is forthcoming, has not been publicly confirmed.