The Los Angeles Dodgers said Thursday that federal immigration agents attempted to gain access to stadium grounds, but were denied entry by the Dodgers organization.
The Major League Baseball team posted about the incident after masked agents were seen staging Department of Homeland security vehicles outside the stadium in Los Angeles’ Elysian Park neighborhood.
“This morning, ICE agents came to Dodger Stadium and requested permission to access the parking lots,” the team posted on X. “They were denied entry to the grounds by the organization. Tonight’s game will be played as scheduled.”
Photo by Zin Chiang via Getty Images
Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement to HuffPost that the agents present at the stadium were with Customs and Border Patrol.
“This had nothing to do with the Dodgers,” she said. “CBP vehicles were in the stadium parking lot very briefly, unrelated to any operation or enforcement.”
Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, meanwhile, said its agents were not present at the stadium today.
“ICE was never at Dodgers stadium, and thus never tried to gain access,” an ICE spokesperson said.
Photos published by the Los Angeles Times show several federal agents outside one of the stadium’s parking lot entrances. The agents were wearing face coverings and sunglasses.
Protesters gathered outside the stadium as word spread on social media about ICE’s presence, chanting “ICE out of LA” and holding signs with slogans like “I like my ICE crushed.” According to LAist, Los Angeles Police Department officers arrived on the scene and blocked the stadium entrance.
ICE raids in America’s second largest city have prompted mass protests in recent weeks. Many Angelenos have called on the Dodgers to make a statement on the impact ICE raids have had on Los Angeles’ immigrant community, given the team’s large Latino fan base.
The team also faced backlash earlier this month after Nezza, a Dominican American singer, sang the Spanish-language version of “The Star-Spangled Banne” before a Dodgers game even though she said the organization asked her to sing in English. As HuffPost reported earlier this week, the Dodgers did not post any videos of her performance on their social media accounts. While the team indicated there were no hard feelings, many fans expressed dismay that the Dodgers would ask her to perform in English only.
Following calls for boycotts, the Dodgers were expected to make a statement Thursday on the ongoing ICE raids and detail ways the team plans to help the city’s immigrant population going forward.
The Dodgers are still scheduled to play the San Diego Padres on Thursday evening in Los Angeles.
