By Corinne Murdock |
The former executive director of Living United for Change in Arizona (LUCHA), Tomas Robles, threatened to have a journalist arrested for investigating an illegal immigrant transport center in Phoenix. Reportedly, Robles now works with the International Rescue Committee (IRC), an international nonprofit; Robles’ LinkedIn reflects that he currently works as a freelance political strategist and doesn’t list IRC.
In footage released on Wednesday, Robles confronted the journalist, James O’Keefe with O’Keefe Media Group (OMG). O’Keefe questioned Robles about an IRC colleague at the facility, Jesus Moreno, who had offered a bribe to O’Keefe to cease his investigation. Robles initially claimed he didn’t know Moreno, and accused O’Keefe of domestic terrorism.
“I know that you are harassing people here. I’m asking you to leave before I call the authorities,” said Robles. “I don’t deal with domestic terrorists like yourselves. […] You’re terrorizing people in a domestic country.”
Robles then claimed that O’Keefe directing his speech from a public sidewalk toward IRC’s private property and recording the interaction amounted to trespassing.
When O’Keefe again repeated that Moreno had attempted to bribe him, Robles challenged O’Keefe for proof of the bribe. O’Keefe captured the attempted bribe on camera.
Robles then called the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Department on O’Keefe. In a later exchange via a phone call, Robles reversed course and seemed to admit he knew Moreno.
Robles accused O’Keefe and OMG of harassment for attempting to conduct a journalistic investigation and obtain comment from the center.
Prior to the IRC role, Robles served as LUCHA’s executive director for nearly a decade. Robles stepped down from that job in 2022.
LUCHA was founded in late 2009, its primary focus on opposing SB1070, a controversial 2010 illegal immigration law requiring law enforcement to ask for proof of citizenship during traffic stops. The Supreme Court upheld the law in 2012.
In addition to receiving a steady stream of funding from Arizona’s leftist dark money network, LUCHA was linked to the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), a nonprofit busted by federal agents for registering illegal immigrants to vote.
Robles’ new gig at the illegal immigrant transport center — the Phoenix Welcome Center — was established by IRC in 2019.
The center serves as a rest stop for illegal immigrants on their way to other parts of the country by bus or plane. Per their latest available tax filing from 2021, the U.S. government gave IRC $415 million for its work.
On Wednesday, IRC’s U.S. communications director, Diana Santana, said in a statement to OMG that IRC was reviewing the incident with O’Keefe, Robles, and Moreno internally and with local authorities.
“We aim to create a workplace environment where people feel safe to carry out their work and interact with colleagues, external partners, and the public,” said Santana.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
