The Chinese Planning Council (CPC) has been accused by a monitoring organization for holding a seminar titled "Know Your Rights" and has been reported to the Trump administration and New York City Mayor Adams. The CPC emphasizes that its seminar is solely for providing legal information and does not encourage the public to engage in illegal activities. The monitoring organization believes that the CPC is training the public to oppose ICE enforcement, while conservative groups accuse it of misusing government funds. CPC Executive Director He Yongkang responded that the organization has a long history and is dedicated to helping the community understand their rights and comply with the law. Other immigrant service organizations in the Chinese community are facing funding difficulties because they are currently prohibited from mentioning terms related to "immigration" and others.
The Chinese Planning Congress (CPC, also known as the Hua Ce Hui) has recently been accused by oversight organizations for hosting a "Know Your Rights" seminar in response to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials, and has reported related activities to the government and the mayor.
The Hua Ce Hui issued a statement saying that their goal is to provide information to help participants understand their rights, and they do not encourage anyone to evade the law; the public can decide for themselves whether to exercise these rights.
Some immigration service organizations have pointed out that in the current environment, grant application documents cannot even mention terms related to "immigration," which contradicts the missions of immigration service organizations.
Footage released by the oversight organization "Muckraker" shows that the Hua Ce Hui's seminar teaches the public how to stop ICE officials' enforcement actions, which may obstruct the deportation process for undocumented immigrants.
Subsequently, the conservative oversight organization "Oversight Project" publicly announced and reported the Hua Ce Hui to the city government and the federal government, accusing it of misusing government funds. The organization’s president accused the Hua Ce Hui's seminar of being a scheme intended to undermine law enforcement.
The CEO of the Hua Ce Hui responded, stating that the association has a history of over 60 years, has no political stance, and is dedicated to providing social services and legal knowledge aimed at helping community residents understand their rights, including education, healthcare, employment, housing, and immigration.
He emphasized that the seminar is meant to provide information and not to encourage evasion of the law; participants can choose whether or not to exercise their rights.
Since President Trump took office, stricter immigration policies have put pressure on some non-profit organizations within the Chinese community. An unnamed official stated that the association's mission is to better serve the immigrant community, but they have had to compromise on the content of application documents due to restrictions on government funding.
