THE LA Dodgers have faced criticism from Immigration and Customs Enforcement after the team asserted that they refused agents access to their premises on Thursday.
ICE hit back, saying the claim was “false” and they “were never there.”
Homeland Security clarified that the agents observed at Dodger Stadium on Thursday were unrelated to the Dodgers and stated that they were from Customs and Border Patrol.
“CBP vehicles were in the stadium parking lot very briefly, unrelated to any operation or enforcement,” the agency added in a post.
Department of Homeland Security vehicles were seen parked outside the stadium gates in Elysian Park on Thursday morning.
The Los Angeles Dodgers claimed they denied the agents’ access to the stadium when they arrived at the venue’s parking lots.
“This morning, ICE agents approached Dodger Stadium and requested permission to enter the parking lots,” the Dodgers stated in a post on social media.
“They were denied entry to the grounds by the organization.”
Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary of Homeland Security, also denied that the Dodgers had been a target, according to NBC News.
“This had nothing to do with the Dodgers,” McLaughlin repeated to the outlet.
Dozens of federal agents were seen wearing face masks and tactical gear as they staged outside the Gate E entrance.
Protesters with signs swarmed the area near the stadium and chanted, “ICE out of LA!” after social media posts circulated calling demonstrators to rally against the staging.
UNREST IN LA
ICE raids have swept southern California in recent weeks, sparking thousands to rally in anti-ICE and anti-Trump protests in Los Angeles.
The Dodgers have been under pressure to break their weeks-long silence about the unrest in their city.
Los Angeles residents have called for the MLB team to show their support for their immigrant fans during Donald Trump’s crackdown.
The team was expected to announce their plans to aid immigrant communities in Los Angeles on Thursday before the agents showed up, a team spokesperson told the Los Angeles Times.
It’s unclear if the announcement will come now after the face-off unfolded outside of the stadium.
Local officials alerted the Los Angeles Police Department of the agents outside the stadium on Thursday morning, according to ABC affiliate KABC.
LAPD notified the Dodgers organization, which reportedly told the ICE agents to leave the property.
Dodgers’ statement
The Dodgers issued the following statement on Thursday afternoon:
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.
Source: Los Angeles Dodgers
Some agents still remained at the scene as of Thursday afternoon.
Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez said she was frustrated that agents were still outside the stadium.
“We’ve been in communication with the mayor’s office, with the Dodgers, with Dodgers security, about seeing if they can get them moved off their private property,” Hernandez told KABC.
Neither Mayor Karen Bass nor Governor Gavin Newsom, who have both publicly opposed Trump’s handling of the anti-ICE protests, has spoken out about the situation at the stadium.
The stadium’s parking lot is considered team property because it’s owned by the team’s former owner, Frank McCourt.
The Dodgers did not immediately return The U.S. Sun’s request for comment.
NATIONAL ANTHEM CONTROVERSY
The team is already facing backlash after a national anthem singer sparked controversy with her performance.
Dominican artist Nezza protested Trump’s immigration policies by singing the anthem in Spanish after she claimed the team told her she couldn’t on Saturday.
Nezza pulled off her tribute on No Kings Day, which was a country-wide demonstration of protests against Trump on his birthday.
She later shared that she had expected to be booed during the song, but that she wanted to express solidarity with immigrants.
“I just felt like I needed to do it. Para mi gente,” she said in a TikTok post.
“Safe to say I’m never allowed in that stadium ever again.”
However, the Dodgers organization shared a statement saying there were no issues with her rendition of the song, despite what Nezza said.
“There were no consequences or hard feelings from the Dodgers regarding her performance,” the Dodgers organization told The CW affiliate KTLA.
“She was not asked to leave. We would be happy to have her back.”
