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Homeland Security has stated that the ICE agents present at the Los Angeles Dodgers stadium on Thursday were not there because of the baseball team.
The reigning World Series champions claimed on social media that they declined a request from ICE agents to access the parking lots of their stadium.
Several ICE agents were seen arriving at Dodger Stadium shortly after 10am local time, with reports soon following that they were refused entry to the ballpark premises.
In a statement released later on X, the MLB franchise revealed that immigration officials had tried, but failed, to enter their parking areas.
‘This morning, ICE agents came to Dodger Stadium and requested permission to access the parking lots,’ the statement reads. ‘They were denied entry to the grounds by the organization.’
The Dodgers added that their scheduled game against the San Diego Padres will go ahead as planned at 7:10pm local time.
Homeland Security has insisted the presence of ICE agents at Dodger stadium had nothing to do with the baseball team
The LA Dodgers have released a statement on ICE agents arriving at their stadium on Thursday
A number of ICE agents were spotted descending on Dodger Stadium just after 10am local time
However, a statement from Homeland Security later on Thursday read: ‘This had nothing to do with the Dodgers.
‘CBP vehicles were in the stadium parking lot very briefly, unrelated to any operation or enforcement.’
The incident comes just two weeks after anti-ICE riots wreaked havoc on downtown LA and spawned other demonstrations across the country.
At least four Department of Homeland Security vehicles were seen near the stadium in Los Angeles on Thursday morning, the LA Times reported.
Dozens of federal agents, masked and wearing tactical gear, initially gathered at the stadium’s downtown gate to conduct a briefing.
The agents then dispersed to various locations in the area, but a small group of agents were still seen on the premises shortly after 11am.
Los Angeles City Council District 1 workers alerted LAPD of the ‘staging’ at the stadium, a local elected official told ABC 7.
A group of apparent protesters have since assembled outside the gate. Police have been asked to intervene, another insider claimed.
Federal agents tried to enter the stadium’s parking lot but were denied entry to the grounds
Photographs captured at the ballpark show several masked agents staged near Gate E
Demonstrators were seen waving protest signs and chanting ‘ICE out of LA’ almost two weeks since immigration enforcement raids began in the city.
As ICE protests were ramped up last week, a national anthem singer sparked controversy after ignoring a request from the Dodgers to sing the American national anthem in English before their game against the San Francisco Giants.
Dominican singer Nezza, 30, claimed the baseball team tried to stop her performing the Star Spangled Banner in Spanish before she did it anyway as a show of solidarity with ICE protestors in the city.
Nezza, whose real name is Vanessa Hernandez, executed the poignant tribute against the Dodgers’ wishes on the day of ‘No Kings’ protests across the US over Donald Trump’s controversial immigration policies.
In a shocking post on TikTok, the R&B artist shared a clip of what she says was a Dodgers official, from off-camera, telling her that she was required to forget the sing the anthem in English.
‘We are going to do the song in English today,’ the woman can be heard saying in the footage, to which Nezza looks visibly surprised.
However, the clip goes on to show her defying the request at Dodger Stadium.
‘Watch the Dodgers tell me I can’t sing the Spanish Star-Spangled Banner that Roosevelt literally commissioned in 1945,’ she captioned the post. ‘So I did it anyway,’ she added as an extra comment when the video eventually shows her singing on the field.
Singer Nezza sparked controversy by performing the national anthem in Spanish before a Dodgers game on Saturday against the team’s orders
Nezza, who wore a Dominican Republic jersey for her performance, then shared an emotional second post explaining her version of events from the day.
‘I didn’t think I’d be met with any sort of no, especially because we are in LA’ Nezza – real name Vanessa Hernandez – said on her TikTok in a post late on Saturday night. ‘I just felt like I needed to do it. I’m still very shaken up and emotional.
‘Especially because we’re in L.A., and with everything happening. I’ve sang the national anthem many times in my life, but today, out of all days, I could not. I’m sorry.
‘I could not believe when she walked in and told me no. But I just felt I needed to do it. For anyone who has been following me for a while, you will know everything I do is out of love, good energy.
‘I am proud of myself for doing that today because my parents are immigrants. I just can’t imagine them being ripped away from me, even at this age. Let alone little kids, what are we doing?
‘Anyways, sorry, this is a whole different side of me. Thank you for all the sweet messages. I love you guys so much. Safe to say I am never allowed in that stadium again.’
