Obama transition met with CHIRLA (group allegedly linked to Mexican government)

Earlier today, a mass therapy session for illegal immigration supporters was held in Washington DC, as hundreds of them marched to the headquarters of Immigration and Customs Enforcement whereupon they banged on drums, waved banners, and conducted mock ceremonies attempting to "cleanse" the building. No, really: "Immigrant Advocates Call for End to Raids" by NC Aizenman, link.

None of those named are major figures, and this was just a show. However, this part at the end is interesting:

Antonio Bernabe, an organizer with the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA) and one of several immigrant activists who met with Obama's transition team in recent weeks, said he was very optimistic based on its response. Still, he said, demonstrations remain necessary.

That's interesting because CHIRLA allegedly has worked with the Mexican government, although none of the MSM sources who've quoted them have seen fit to try to confirm that. See this for all the details.

UPDATE: There's more on the "cleansing" in news.newamericamedia.
org/news/view_article.html?article_id=5bec28f5341e22d85cca3d35c1f5097b

The main organizer was the Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM). The article quotes Ali Noorani of the National Immigration Forum, but it's not clear whether he was there or not. And:

Across the country, advocates plan for more actions, coordinated through an increasingly sophisticated communications network, to build a groundswell in favor of reform. For example, on Jan. 22 on Long Island, a hotspot in the immigration wars, the ecumenical Council of Churches plans to release a major statement on the need for "immigration solutions."

Thu, 01/22/2009 - 00:06 · · Importance: 9