US Rep. Mark Harris, NC-08, a Republican, recently called out Siembra NC, a non-governmental organization (NGO), accusing the group of encouraging obstruction of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). 

“While ‘NGOs’ like Siembra NC brazenly encourage the obstruction of federal law and immigration enforcement, President Trump is doing exactly what he said he would: restoring law and order,” Harris told the Carolina Journal. “Congress must use every tool at our disposal to hold organizations like this accountable and ensure our communities are secure once again.”

The grassroots organization was born in 2017 as a response to President Trump’s “war on immigrants” and to fill a need for resources for the “Latine” community. The NGO focuses “on defending our communities from abusive employers and landlords, ICE, and bad politicos,” according to the website. 

During the new Trump administration, ICE has increased its law enforcement activity under a directive from the White House, which has reportedly stirred up fear in immigrant communities. Siembra NC set up training sessions and a hotline, but most of the calls have been related to rumors and unverified reports of alleged federal agents in the community.

“The impact has been devastating,” Kelly Morales, the co-director of Siembra NC, told WRAL in January. “The impact has been that there are viral videos, there are viral posts of people who see a car or see a local police car, who then they mistake to be a federal agent or a federal Homeland Security Agent. And that doesn’t keep anybody safe when this fear is heightened.” 

Morales outlined Siembra NC’s response to the ramped-up efforts by ICE under the Trump administration. 

“How we’re responding to it is that we’re training folks, and we’re inviting folks to kind of talk to each other and be able to ask who saw it, where did you see it? When did you see it? And then ask people that can go, that have a license that is able to verify, just to be like a neighborhood watch.” 

Kelly Morales, Co-Director of Siembra NC

Siembra NC’s fundraising is funneled through ActBlue, a fundraising platform used by Democratic candidates and left-leaning organizations. 

“Our platform is available to Democratic candidates and committees, progressive organizations, and nonprofits that share our values for no cost besides a 3.95% processing fee on donations,” according to the website. “And we operate as a conduit, which means donations made through ActBlue to a campaign or organization are considered individual donations.”

According to records from the North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE), Siembra NC was not involved in state elections in 2024, but they were involved in local elections in 2023 in Burlington and Durham. Records also indicate that Siembra NC filed independent expenditures (IEs) in 2022 for multiple state House elections as well as sheriff elections in Wake and Alamance counties.

According to ProPublica, Siembra NC generated $1.12 million in 2023 and $1.04 million in 2022.

Financial records indicate that Siembra had three primary donors in 2023: $600,000 from the Open Society Action Fund, $104,000 from the Neo Philanthropy Action Fund, and $100,000 from the TIDES Foundation. Open Society was founded by far-left philanthropist George Soros and that organization also contributes to the Neo Philanthropy Action Fund and the TIDES Foundation.

In 2022, America Votes was their largest donor with $350,000, followed by the Neo Philanthropy Action Fund with $250,000. The Sixteen Thirty Fund donated another $75,000, and Imagine North Carolina First donated $20,000.

Imagine North Carolina First was also the largest donor in 2021, contributing $100,000. The second and third largest donors were the Meijente Committee, contributing $75,000, and the Sixteen Thirty Fund, contributing $50,000. The Bank of America Charitable Foundation also contributed $3,356. 

Somos Siembra, the 501(c)3 affiliate of Siembra NC, generated more than $1.3 million in 2023 and $2.3 million in 2022.

Financial records show that Somos’ three largest donors were $300,000 from the Heising-Simons Foundation, $200,000 from Way to Rise, and $180,000 from the New Venture Fund. The Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation also donated $70,000.

The Meijente Support Committee was Somos’ largest donor in 2022, contributing more than $1.6 million. The Windward Fund was the second largest donor, contributing $300,000. The Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation contributed $8,200.

Siembra NC did not respond to the Carolina Journal’s request for comment.