Millions of dollars earmarked for Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D-CA) wildfire relief fund, which was meant to help victims of the January 2025 fires recover from the devastation, went instead toward unrelated expenses, including more than $14 million diverted to controlling crowds during California’s anti-deportation protests the following summer.

According to California Department of Finance records, $12.8 million of the Los Angeles wildfire response and recovery funds were used to pay for the deployment of California Highway Patrol officers sent to police demonstrations against Immigration and Customs Enforcement in downtown LA last year.