Comedian George Lopez has alleged that the Los Angeles Dodgers have barred him from their social media platforms following his criticisms of their perceived inaction concerning ICE raids in the city.
The 64-year-old comedian has been a long-time critic of ICE, advocating for the Dodgers to take a more visible stance in support of immigrants within the community.
During a peak in tensions over the raids, the World Series champions faced backlash when singer Nezza was reportedly asked not to perform the national anthem in Spanish before a mid-June game against the San Francisco Giants.
On July 12, Lopez took to social media to claim that the Dodgers – who had visited Donald Trump at the White House earlier this year – had blocked him due to his disapproval of the team, a move he expressed to People as ‘hurtful’.
Last month, he posted a video on social media of him dancing with the upload captioned: ‘POV: You just got blocked by the Dodgers’.
In a fervent post, he shared: ‘The Dodgers blocked me on social media for my criticism of the team, so they’ll take a stand on me, but not on the treatment of the families who called Chavez Ravine home before they decided to build a baseball stadium where they lived and where their families called home.’
Comedian George Lopez has claimed that the Dodgers have blocked him on social media
Chavez Ravine was a Los Angeles neighborhood that was primarily home to a low-income Hispanic community, which was displaced to allow for the construction of Dodger Stadium.
The stadium eventually opened in 1962 as the Brooklyn Dodgers relocated to Los Angeles to make the ballpark their home.
Lopez’s July post continued: ‘Also no comment from the owners (on ICE).What’s happening everyday to the families of the people who are being treated like they don’t belong? If anyone doesnt belong it’s the Dodgers.
‘Maybe since the Dodgers have stayed silient on the issue of the treatment and enforcement of ICE on the Latino Community, maybe at the next fan fest or homestand they can have ICE Agents or these bounty hunters dress up as the visiting team and during the 7th inning stretch they can remove fans, since their loyalty to the team means nothing to them.’
The Dodgers, who have been offered the chance to comment by Daily Mail, have not yet spoken publicly about Lopez’s claims.
But the team did donate $1million in support of families of immigrants impacted by ICE raids in June.
Dodgers president and CEO, Stan Kasten, said in a statement: ‘What’s happening in Los Angeles has reverberated among thousands upon thousands of people, and we have heard the calls for us to take a leading role on behalf of those affected.
‘We believe that by committing resources and taking action, we will continue to support and uplift the communities of Greater Los Angeles.’
President Trump welcomed Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers to the White House this year
Trump had the team visit him in D.C. to celebrate their World Series victory from 2024
On June 19, the Dodgers said on social media that ICE agents had been denied entry to their ballpark.
Their post read: ‘This morning, ICE agents came to Dodger Stadium and requested permission to access the parking lots. They were denied entry to the grounds by the organization. Tonight’s game will be played as scheduled.’
Lopez has made no secret of his lifelong Dodgers fandom. In a piece he wrote for ESPN in 2016, he underlined his love for the team and recalled how awestruck he felt when he went to Dodger Stadium for the first time.
‘I’ll never forget seeing Dodger Stadium for the first time. Little did I know that going to Dodger games would become a tradition for my family,’ he wrote.
‘I’ve gone to Dodger Stadium with regularity in the years since… My seats now are a lot better than my 75-cent ticket to the left field pavilion, but nothing is better than looking out from the seats behind home plate and imagining my grandparents both still there.’
Trump welcomed the Dodgers to the White House in April to commemorate their 2024 World Series triumph.
The Dodgers lead the NL West with a record of 64-47 as of Saturday night.
