Latest news with #JillConnelly
The Star
14 hours ago
- Politics
- The Star
LA Dodgers say they denied immigration agents access to Dodger Stadium parking lot
A boy on a scooter passes in front of Gate A of Dodger Stadium after ICE officers were denied access to the stadium's parking lot for staging, in Los Angeles, California, U.S. June 19, 2025. REUTERS/Jill Connelly LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -The Los Angeles Dodgers said they had denied U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents access to the parking lot at Dodger Stadium on Thursday, in the team's first sign of opposition to immigration raids that have rattled California's largest city. The Dodgers, whose baseball fan base includes a significant Latino contingent, have come under criticism from fans and local media commentators in recent days for not speaking out publicly against raids by immigration agents across Los Angeles. The raids sparked street protests, which in turn prompted President Donald Trump to send in the National Guard and U.S. Marines to protect federal personnel and property, fueling more protests and tension. "This morning, ICE agents came to Dodger Stadium and requested permission to access the parking lots," the team said in a post on X. "They were denied entry to the grounds by the organization. Tonight's game will be played as scheduled." The Department of Homeland Security, which includes ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, said CBP vehicles used the parking lot briefly. "This had nothing to do with the Dodgers. CBP vehicles were in the stadium parking lot very briefly, unrelated to any operation or enforcement," DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. MSNBC showed video of a small number of protesters objecting to the presence of at least four uniformed agents and three vehicles and asking them to remove their facemasks. Los Angeles Times video showed protesters chanting, "Where are the Dodgers?" The Dodgers, coming off a World Series championship in 2024, are a cultural touchstone in Los Angeles. Their Latino fan base has been a large part of the team's identity at least since the "Fernandomania" craze surrounding Mexican-born pitcher Fernando Valenzuela in the early 1980s. After nearly two weeks of silence over the raids, the Dodgers were due on Thursday to announce plans to assist immigrant communities, the Los Angeles Times reported, citing a team spokesman. The Dodgers did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. "It's kind of upsetting that they haven't spoken up," Kimberly, a fan who did not want to give her full name, told Reuters at Dodger Stadium before Wednesday night's game. She praised Enrique "Kike" Hernandez, the popular utility player and Puerto Rican native, who recently posted that he could not stand to see the Los Angeles community being "violated, profiled, abused and ripped apart." Hernandez received a huge ovation from the crowd when he came to bat on Wednesday. Lifelong Dodgers fan Dmitri Turner said that while he would like to see the team use its platform to address the "bad things going on" with ICE detentions, he understood that the organization might want to keep its focus on the field. "Maybe they'd rather leave that to the politicians and give the fans what they want, which is good baseball," he said in the parking lot of Dodger Stadium. While the immigration raids may appeal to Trump's base of supporters over concerns about border security, many community leaders in heavily Democratic Los Angeles have publicly opposed the operations. Mayor Karen Bass has denounced them as provoking more tension and as harmful to the local economy. Singer Nezza sang the U.S. national anthem in Spanish at Dodger Stadium on Saturday, injecting a form of protest into the patriotic tradition before the baseball game. The professional soccer clubs LAFC and Angel City FC have issued statements of support for immigrants but otherwise the city's sports franchises have refrained from commenting. (Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles and Daniel Trotta in Carlsbad, California; editing by Colleen Jenkins and Diane Craft)
Straits Times
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
LA Dodgers say they denied immigration agents access to Dodger Stadium parking lot
Protesters gather at Gate E of Dodger Stadium after ICE officers were denied access to the stadium's parking lot for staging, in Los Angeles, California, U.S. June 19, 2025. REUTERS/Jill Connelly Members of the media report at Gate E of Dodger Stadium after ICE officers were denied access to the stadium's parking lot for staging, in Los Angeles, California, U.S. June 19, 2025. REUTERS/Jill Connelly A boy on a scooter passes in front of Gate A of Dodger Stadium after ICE officers were denied access to the stadium's parking lot for staging, in Los Angeles, California, U.S. June 19, 2025. REUTERS/Jill Connelly LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles Dodgers said they had denied U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents access to the parking lot at Dodger Stadium on Thursday, in the team's first sign of opposition to immigration raids that have rattled California's largest city. The Dodgers, whose baseball fan base includes a significant Latino contingent, have come under criticism from fans and local media commentators in recent days for not speaking out publicly against raids by immigration agents across Los Angeles. The raids sparked street protests, which in turn prompted President Donald Trump to send in the National Guard and U.S. Marines to protect federal personnel and property, fueling more protests and tension. "This morning, ICE agents came to Dodger Stadium and requested permission to access the parking lots," the team said in a post on X. "They were denied entry to the grounds by the organization. Tonight's game will be played as scheduled." The Department of Homeland Security, which includes ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, said CBP vehicles used the parking lot briefly. "This had nothing to do with the Dodgers. CBP vehicles were in the stadium parking lot very briefly, unrelated to any operation or enforcement," DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. MSNBC showed video of a small number of protesters objecting to the presence of at least four uniformed agents and three vehicles and asking them to remove their facemasks. Los Angeles Times video showed protesters chanting, "Where are the Dodgers?" The Dodgers, coming off a World Series championship in 2024, are a cultural touchstone in Los Angeles. Their Latino fan base has been a large part of the team's identity at least since the "Fernandomania" craze surrounding Mexican-born pitcher Fernando Valenzuela in the early 1980s. After nearly two weeks of silence over the raids, the Dodgers were due on Thursday to announce plans to assist immigrant communities, the Los Angeles Times reported, citing a team spokesman. The Dodgers did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. "It's kind of upsetting that they haven't spoken up," Kimberly, a fan who did not want to give her full name, told Reuters at Dodger Stadium before Wednesday night's game. She praised Enrique "Kike" Hernandez, the popular utility player and Puerto Rican native, who recently posted that he could not stand to see the Los Angeles community being "violated, profiled, abused and ripped apart." Hernandez received a huge ovation from the crowd when he came to bat on Wednesday. Lifelong Dodgers fan Dmitri Turner said that while he would like to see the team use its platform to address the "bad things going on" with ICE detentions, he understood that the organization might want to keep its focus on the field. "Maybe they'd rather leave that to the politicians and give the fans what they want, which is good baseball," he said in the parking lot of Dodger Stadium. While the immigration raids may appeal to Trump's base of supporters over concerns about border security, many community leaders in heavily Democratic Los Angeles have publicly opposed the operations. Mayor Karen Bass has denounced them as provoking more tension and as harmful to the local economy. Singer Nezza sang the U.S. national anthem in Spanish at Dodger Stadium on Saturday, injecting a form of protest into the patriotic tradition before the baseball game. The professional soccer clubs LAFC and Angel City FC have issued statements of support for immigrants but otherwise the city's sports franchises have refrained from commenting. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
GMA Network
5 days ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
Trump administration weighs adding 36 countries to travel ban, memo says
An immigration lawyer speaks during a protest sponsored by the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) against US President Donald Trump's new sweeping travel ban, which went into effect as his administration intensifies its immigration crackdown, at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in Los Angeles, California, June 9, 2025. REUTERS/ Jill Connelly WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump's administration is considering significantly expanding its travel restrictions by potentially banning citizens of 36 additional countries from entering the United States, according to an internal State Department cable seen by Reuters. Earlier this month, the Republican president signed a proclamation that banned the entry of citizens from 12 countries, saying the move was needed to protect the United States against "foreign terrorists" and other national security threats. The directive was part of an immigration crackdown Trump launched this year at the start of his second term, which has included the deportation to El Salvador of hundreds of Venezuelans suspected of being gang members, as well as efforts to deny enrollments of some foreign students from US universities and deport others. In an internal diplomatic cable signed by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the State Department outlined a dozen concerns about the countries in question and sought corrective action. "The Department has identified 36 countries of concern that might be recommended for full or partial suspension of entry if they do not meet established benchmarks and requirements within 60 days," the cable sent out over the weekend said. The cable was first reported by the Washington Post. Among the concerns the State Department raised was the lack of a competent or cooperative government by some of the countries mentioned to produce reliable identity documents, the cable said. Another was "questionable security" of that country's passport. Some countries, the cable said, were not cooperative in facilitating the removal of its nationals from the United States who were ordered to be removed. Some countries were overstaying the US visas their citizens were being granted. Other reasons for concern were the nationals of the country were involved in acts of terrorism in the United States, or antisemitic and anti-American activity. The cable noted that not all of these concerns pertained to every country listed. The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The countries that could face a full or a partial ban if they do not address these concerns within the next 60 days are: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cote D'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Dominica, Ethiopia, Egypt, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, South Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. That would be a significant expansion of the ban that came into effect earlier this month. The countries affected were Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. The entry of people from seven other countries—Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela—has also been partially restricted. During his first term, Trump announced a ban on travelers from seven Muslim-majority nations, a policy that went through several iterations before it was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018. — Reuters
Straits Times
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
What are the 'less lethal' weapons used by law enforcement in Los Angeles protests?
FILE PHOTO: The 101 Freeway is reopened and littered with debris from yesterday's protest, including 40mm Flash Bang canisters, after it was closed down yesterday by protesters, after the California National Guard was deployed by U.S. President Donald Trump as a response to protests against federal immigration sweeps, in downtown Los Angeles, California, U.S., June 9, 2025. REUTERS/Jill Connelly/File Photo What are the 'less lethal' weapons used by law enforcement in Los Angeles protests? WASHINGTON - Law enforcement officials in Los Angeles began deploying "less lethal" munitions on Sunday as they clashed with crowds protesting federal immigration raids. "Less lethal" or "less-than-lethal" weapons are designed to cause pain and discomfort, normally to disperse hostile crowds, but have caused serious injury and death in the past. Here is a list of the less lethal weapons that have been deployed in Los Angeles in recent days, according to Reuters witnesses and the Los Angeles Police Department. SPONGE ROUNDS Media outlets, and a reporter hit in the leg by a projectile on Sunday, have said LAPD officers have been firing rubber bullets, a metal casing covered in rubber. In fact, the LAPD do not use rubber bullets, the department told Reuters. Instead, the LAPD uses foam rounds, a condensed sponge projectile that resembles a hard Nerf ball. One version, which has a plastic body with a hard foam nose, is fired from a 40mm launcher and usually aimed directly at a target. A second version, fired from a 37mm launcher, disperses five foam baton rounds toward the ground in front of a hostile crowd once an unlawful assembly has been declared, before bouncing up into the crowd. It is not to be fired directly at individuals, the LAPD said. Both are designed to cause pain on impact without penetrating the skin. Police are forbidden from aiming sponge rounds at the head, neck, groin, and spine. BEAN BAG ROUNDS Bean bag rounds are normally 37mm cloth bags filled with 1.4 oz of lead or rubber pellets. They are fired from shotguns and spread out as they fly toward the intended target. They are designed not to penetrate the skin but to cause an impact hard enough to render a target temporarily immobile. FLASH BANGS Flash bangs, otherwise known as "distraction devices" or "noise flash diversionary devices," produce an ear-piercing bang and bright light to disorient targets by temporarily disrupting their sight and hearing. They are often used to target protesters who have become violent in a section of a crowd, and also to allow police to enter a section of a crowd to extract offenders. One type of flash bang device that has been used in Los Angeles is the 40mm aerial flash bang. These are launched into the air and ignite above the heads of protesters. TEAR GAS Tear gas, one of the most common riot control tools, is designed to temporarily incapacitate people by causing excessive irritation to the eyes, nose, lungs, and skin. It can cause temporary blindness, streaming eyes and nose, coughing, chest tightness, and difficulty breathing. Tear gas canisters usually contain CS gas, a chemical compound, or OC gas, which stands for oleoresin capsicum, the active ingredient in pepper spray. PEPPER SPRAY Pepper spray, which has similar impacts as tear gas, is sprayed from a handheld canister and is often used when police come into close quarters with rioters or are engaged in hand-to-hand encounters. It mainly irritates the eyes, causing temporary blindness. PEPPER BALLS Pepper balls mirror the effects of pepper spray, but are delivered in a projectile similar to a paintball. On impact, it bursts open, releasing powdered OC into the air. Police often do not fire pepper balls directly at a person, but at street signs, onto buildings or into the ground to cause them to burst open. BATON Known as the oldest less lethal weapon, the baton has been used for crowd control for decades. Police officers have been using batons to push and strike protesters in recent days. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Star
10-06-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Factbox-What are the 'less lethal' weapons used by law enforcement in Los Angeles protests?
FILE PHOTO: The 101 Freeway is reopened and littered with debris from yesterday's protest, including 40mm Flash Bang canisters, after it was closed down yesterday by protesters, after the California National Guard was deployed by U.S. President Donald Trump as a response to protests against federal immigration sweeps, in downtown Los Angeles, California, U.S., June 9, 2025. REUTERS/Jill Connelly/File Photo WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Law enforcement officials in Los Angeles began deploying "less lethal" munitions on Sunday as they clashed with crowds protesting federal immigration raids. "Less lethal" or "less-than-lethal" weapons are designed to cause pain and discomfort, normally to disperse hostile crowds, but have caused serious injury and death in the past. Here is a list of the less lethal weapons that have been deployed in Los Angeles in recent days, according to Reuters witnesses and the Los Angeles Police Department. SPONGE ROUNDS Media outlets, and a reporter hit in the leg by a projectile on Sunday, have said LAPD officers have been firing rubber bullets, a metal casing covered in rubber. In fact, the LAPD do not use rubber bullets, the department told Reuters. Instead, the LAPD uses foam rounds, a condensed sponge projectile that resembles a hard Nerf ball. One version, which has a plastic body with a hard foam nose, is fired from a 40mm launcher and usually aimed directly at a target. A second version, fired from a 37mm launcher, disperses five foam baton rounds toward the ground in front of a hostile crowd once an unlawful assembly has been declared, before bouncing up into the crowd. It is not to be fired directly at individuals, the LAPD said. Both are designed to cause pain on impact without penetrating the skin. Police are forbidden from aiming sponge rounds at the head, neck, groin, and spine. BEAN BAG ROUNDS Bean bag rounds are normally 37mm cloth bags filled with 1.4 oz of lead or rubber pellets. They are fired from shotguns and spread out as they fly toward the intended target. They are designed not to penetrate the skin but to cause an impact hard enough to render a target temporarily immobile. FLASH BANGS Flash bangs, otherwise known as "distraction devices" or "noise flash diversionary devices," produce an ear-piercing bang and bright light to disorient targets by temporarily disrupting their sight and hearing. They are often used to target protesters who have become violent in a section of a crowd, and also to allow police to enter a section of a crowd to extract offenders. One type of flash bang device that has been used in Los Angeles is the 40mm aerial flash bang. These are launched into the air and ignite above the heads of protesters. TEAR GAS Tear gas, one of the most common riot control tools, is designed to temporarily incapacitate people by causing excessive irritation to the eyes, nose, lungs, and skin. It can cause temporary blindness, streaming eyes and nose, coughing, chest tightness, and difficulty breathing. Tear gas canisters usually contain CS gas, a chemical compound, or OC gas, which stands for oleoresin capsicum, the active ingredient in pepper spray. PEPPER SPRAY Pepper spray, which has similar impacts as tear gas, is sprayed from a handheld canister and is often used when police come into close quarters with rioters or are engaged in hand-to-hand encounters. It mainly irritates the eyes, causing temporary blindness. PEPPER BALLS Pepper balls mirror the effects of pepper spray, but are delivered in a projectile similar to a paintball. On impact, it bursts open, releasing powdered OC into the air. Police often do not fire pepper balls directly at a person, but at street signs, onto buildings or into the ground to cause them to burst open. BATON Known as the oldest less lethal weapon, the baton has been used for crowd control for decades. Police officers have been using batons to push and strike protesters in recent days. (Reporting by Tim Reid in Washington, editing by Ross Colvin and Rod Nickel)
