Dodgers say they denied federal immigration officials access to Dodger Stadium parking lots
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers said they denied federal immigration officials access to the area around the team's stadium on Thursday morning, hours after The Athletic and other outlets reported the team's plans to announce assistance to immigrants impacted by recent militarized raids in the city.
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'This morning, ICE agents came to Dodger Stadium and requested permission to access the parking lots,' the organization posted on X. 'They were denied entry to the grounds by the organization.'
The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that Customs and Border Protection 'vehicles were in the stadium parking lot very briefly, unrelated to any operation or enforcement.' DHS said that the activity 'had nothing to do with the Dodgers.' ICE, which is overseen by DHS, told The Athletic in a statement Thursday that the agency was never at Dodger Stadium.
In recent immigration raids, ICE and other federal officials have sometimes operated in unmarked cars. Social media videos from Dodger Stadium appear to show some unmarked white vans with unclear markings.
The Dodgers, who are set to host the San Diego Padres on Thursday night, said the game will be played as scheduled.
Images began circulating on social media Thursday morning of unmarked white vans and masked agents parked out in front of the Dodger Stadium gates. ICE has recently cracked down on immigrants in the city as part of President Donald Trump's push to reduce immigration, leading to protests in Los Angeles and elsewhere in the U.S. While Trump was running for his second term, he promised to 'carry out the largest domestic deportation operation in American history.'
The Dodgers' statement on Thursday marked the organization's first public comments since the raids began on June 6. The organization was expected to announce details of its plans to assist immigrant groups on Thursday afternoon.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the Dodgers asked local police to intervene after a group of protesters showed up to the area on Thursday morning.
Dodgers chief marketing officer Lon Rosen previously told The Los Angeles Times, 'We're not going to comment' on the ongoing ICE raids, with Los Angeles FC and Angel City FC being the lone Los Angeles professional sports franchises to issue any form of statement. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts called the events in Los Angeles 'unsettling' before deferring any further statement, saying, 'I haven't dug enough and can't speak intelligently on it.'
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Kiké Hernández has been the lone Dodgers player to issue a public statement on the matter, posting on Instagram on Saturday night to give his support to the immigrant communities affected.
'I may not be Born & Raised, but this city adopted me as one of their own,' Hernández wrote in his post. 'I am saddened and infuriated by what's happening in our country and our city. Los Angeles and Dodger fans have welcomed me, supported me and shown me nothing but kindness and love. This is my second home. And I cannot stand to see our community being violated, profiled, abused and ripped apart. ALL people deserve to be treated with respect, dignity and human rights. #CityOfImmigrants.'
Jaime Jarrín, the Dodgers' iconic former Spanish-language broadcaster, took to Instagram on Tuesday, writing: 'As an immigrant who came to this country 70 years ago, I know firsthand the hope, courage, and determination it takes to build a new life in a new land. I've always believed that immigration isn't just part of the American story; it is the American story.'
The Dodgers also received backlash this week after singer and social media personality Nezza opted to perform the official Spanish version of the United States national anthem at Dodger Stadium on Saturday night, later posting a video showing an unidentified Dodgers employee telling her not to do it. Nezza, also known as Vanessa Hernández, proceeded with a rendition of 'El Pendón Estrellado,' the official Spanish version commissioned by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1945.
Nezza's performance came in the middle of nationwide 'No Kings' protests against the Trump administration, countering a military parade in Washington. She told CNN's 'The Lead' this week that the Dodgers 'called and said, 'Don't ever call us again. Don't ever email us again. The rest of your clients are never welcome here again.' So for me, that kind of feels like a ban.'
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When asked this week about Nezza's video, a team spokesperson assured there were 'no hard feelings' and that the singer was not banned from the stadium. The outcry, which included prominent Latin voices such as artist Becky G, has spurred calls and plans for a protest at the ballpark Saturday afternoon.
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