Latest news with #U.S.ImmigrationandCustomsEnforcement
Hamilton Spectator
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Federal immigration agents asked to leave Dodger Stadium parking lot, team says
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers organization said Thursday that it asked federal immigration agents to leave the Dodger Stadium grounds after they arrived at a parking lot near one of the gates. Dozens of federal agents with their faces covered arrived in SUVs and cargo vans to a lot near the stadium's Gate E entrance. A group of protesters carrying signs against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement started amassing shortly after, local media reported. '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,' the team said in a statement posted on X. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement posted on X that its agents were never there. Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, said the agents were with Customs and Border Protection and that they were not trying to enter the stadium. 'This had nothing to do with the Dodgers. (Customs and Border Protection) vehicles were in the stadium parking lot very briefly, unrelated to any operation or enforcement,' she said in an email. The team said the game against the San Diego Padres later Thursday will be played as planned. Television cameras showed about four agents remained at the lot Thursday afternoon while officers with the Los Angeles Police Department stood between them and dozens of protesters, some carrying signs that read 'I Like My Ice Crushed' and chanting 'ICE out of LA!' Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez arrived at the stadium and said she had been in communication with Dodger officials and the mayor's office. '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,' she told KABC-TV. 'Public property is different. Private property — businesses and corporations have the power to say, 'Not on my property,' And so we're waiting to see that movement happen here.' Protests began June 6 after federal immigration raids arrested dozens of workers in Los Angeles. Protesters blocked a major freeway and set cars on fire the following days, and police responded with tear gas, rubber bullets and flash-bang grenades. The team has yet to make a statement regarding the arrests and raids. The Dodgers' heavily Latino fan base has been pushing for the team to make a public statement and ignited a debate online about its stance on the immigration crackdown happening in Los Angeles. The Dodgers had been expected to issue a statement of support toward Los Angeles-area communities affected by immigration enforcement, but no statement had been released by 5 p.m. Thursday. 'Because of the events earlier today, we continue to work with groups that were involved with our programs,' Dodgers President Stan Kasten told a small group of reporters. 'But we are going to have to delay today's announcement while we firm up some more details.' The Trump administration has activated more than 4,000 National Guard members and 700 Marines over the objections of city and state leaders. Dozens of troops now guard federal buildings and protect federal agents making arrests. The demonstrations have been mostly concentrated downtown in the city of around 4 million people. Thousands of people have peacefully rallied outside City Hall and hundreds more protested outside a federal complex that includes a detention center where some immigrants are being held following workplace raids. Despite the protests, immigration enforcement activity has continued throughout the county, with city leaders and community groups reporting ICE present at libraries, car washes and Home Depots. School graduations in Los Angeles have increased security over fears of ICE action and some have offered parents the option to watch on Zoom. ___ Rodriguez reported from San Francisco. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
San Francisco Chronicle
5 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Man facing deportation accused of attacking three ICE agents in Bay Area
A Nicaraguan national facing deportation was indicted by a federal grand jury in an assault on three U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers at an ICE facility in San Jose, prosecutors said. Federal prosecutors said Francisco De-Jesus Morales, 25, assaulted the three ICE officers on May 2 as he tried to resist his arrest by federal immigration officers carrying out a warrant for his removal from the country. De-Jesus Morales allegedly caused 'significant groin bruising' to one of the officers. All officers received medical treatment for injuries, prosecutors said. De-Jesus Morales was also injured and received care. 'Those who use violence against federal officers should know that they will be met with the full force of the law,' United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian said in a statement. De-Jesus Morales was scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday.
San Francisco Chronicle
5 hours ago
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
What should you do when ICE comes to the ballpark? Bay Area teams are already preparing
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents went knocking on the door of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and they might soon be coming to a ballpark or stadium near you. Bay Area sports teams are quietly — very quietly — bracing for the increasing probability that ICE will show up and knock down the invisible wall that shields sports from real-world political turmoil and fear. The eyes of the sports world are now on the Dodgers, who are facing what might be called a courage check. They might have to choose between cooperating with ICE as it zeroes in on Los Angeles in its mass-deportation campaign, and siding with their fans and fellow Angelenos. Thursday, the Dodgers reportedly denied entrance to a Dodger Stadium parking lot to ICE vehicles. Coincidentally or not, ICE tried to move into the lot on the day the Dodgers were going to announce team plans to assist local immigrant communities affected by recent ICE raids. The Dodgers are walking a tightrope. In April, the team ignored pleas and protests of many by visiting the White House, to be honored as World Series champions. It was just weeks after President Donald Trump's Department of Defense removed a tribute to Dodgers great Jackie Robinson — a veteran as well as a sports trailblazer — from its website. Trump had already ordered the deportation of one million undocumented immigrants per year. About 47% of Los Angeles residents are Latino, and the Dodgers claim that more than 40% of their fans are Latino. The Dodgers were also criticized for not taking a public stand against recent ICE raids in Los Angeles, and they drew more fire for reportedly telling last Saturday's pregame national anthem singer that she could not sing the anthem in Spanish. She did so anyway, and said the team was irate, which the Dodgers deny. While the Dodgers team has long been seen as the on-field enemy by Bay Area sports fans, local teams and restaurant owners in Northern California worry that they might soon be sharing the Dodgers' pain. 'Those (ICE) people are so vindictive, so belligerent, they're going to single someone out,' said one long-time Bay Area restaurant owner. 'They'd love to show off in San Francisco.' One Bay Area pro sports team earlier this year sent a memo to its game-crew supervisors, detailing how employees should react in the event of an ICE raid, summarizing the rights of employees and outlining the legal limits of ICE agents' actions. It's not unusual for a sports team to issue instructions on emergency procedures and personal rights. Live-shooter training, for instance, has become standard. What is unusual is for multiple team executives to ask — plead, actually — that their team name not be used in a news report about ICE raids, for fear of the team becoming a target of the increasingly aggressive raids and roundups. 'We don't want somebody back there (ICE headquarters in Washington D.C.) seeing our name and saying, 'Hey, let's visit those guys,'' an executive for one Bay Area team said with genuine concern. 'We don't want to get in their crosshairs.' Many see ICE using fear as a tool in its efforts to meet Trump's reported deportation quota of about 3,000 per day. In response to Trump's recent demand to increase arrests in cities run by elected Democrats, the Chronicle sent a query to ICE asking if detention and deportation efforts would increase in San Francisco. This is the email response, attributable to Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin: 'The President has been incredibly clear. There will be no safe spaces for industries who harbor violent criminals or purposely try to undermine ICE's efforts. Worksite enforcement remains a cornerstone of our efforts to safe guard (sic) public safety, national security and economic stability. These operations target illegal employment networks that undermine American workers, destabilize labor markets and expose critical infrastructure to exploitation.' The statement, a boilerplate response also sent to other news organizations, has an element of irony. The president himself seems incredibly un clear on his own deportation strategy. He recently said that ICE would no longer target agriculture and hospitality industry sites. Two days later he urged ICE to intensify its raids in all sectors. The fear and the confusion are real. The Chronicle reached out to several pro sports teams in the Bay Area (and one in Los Angeles) and to some San Francisco restaurants, asking if they have alerted their employees to their rights and procedures in the event of an ICE visit. The only on-the-record response was from the Oakland Coliseum and Arena. 'We try to make sure that the people we hire are here legally,' said Henry Gardner, executive director of the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum Joint Powers Authority Commission, which oversees both venues. 'It's not a perfect system. But we don't want our staff to be intimidated, so we do have protocols in place for how they should behave and how our senior managers should behave should (ICE) show up.' No other team spokesperson or restaurant owner would speak on the record. 'We don't want to put a target on our back,' said one team's representative. 'Please leave us out of this' story, a restaurant owner pleaded. 'I don't trust those crazy (ICE) people.' It's not that teams and businesses fear being punished for hiring undocumented immigrants. All claim that their employees and their vendors' employees are vetted and in compliance with U.S. work rules. The problem is that many of the ICE raids appear to have been indiscriminate, with agents rounding up workers now and asking questions later, while employing tactics of questionable legality, morality and use of force. The service workforce in California has a high percentage of Latino workers. Trump has an ongoing and escalating feud with this state and its governor. Trump has also threatened to withhold federal funding to California over the state's refusal to ban transgender athletes from competing in girls' and women's sports. Such economic threats have been a staple of this White House, and it's not hard to envision a team's perceived refusal to cooperate being used as reason to punish the team economically or legally. Trump's border czar, Tom Homan, recently said of anyone suspected of aiding undocumented immigrants or shielding them from ICE, 'When they cross the line of harboring and concealing, that's a felony.' That 'line,' however, often defies clear definition. A week ago last Friday, David Huerta, president of Service Employees International Union California, which has 3,200 members working at sports venues in the state, was arrested at the Los Angeles protests and charged with felony obstruction. 'It's scary as hell to think that they (ICE agents) could just come in here and do what they're going to do,' said an usher for a San Francisco sports team. 'I'd say more than half the people I work with … are just targets for (ICE). It's horrifying. I have a lot of friends who work in immigrant communities, and they've been saying a lot of people are just staying home, they're not going to work, they're so afraid.' Even the athletes might not be immune. As ICE targets undocumented people from Central and South America, the San Francisco Giants have five players from the Dominican Republic and one from Venezuela on their roster. Latino players make up a large segment of the rosters of Bay Area pro soccer teams. The Chronicle obtained the ICE memo that one local team distributed to its game-day workforce supervisors earlier this year, shortly after Trump took office. The two-page memo, titled 'Workplace Guidance for Handling Potential ICE Interactions,' seems carefully worded, perhaps to avoid the appearance of being antagonistic or obstructionist. The memo's first item is, 'Stay Calm and Professional' if ICE agents arrive in or near the venue. Other items drill down on the legal rights of employees, immigrants or otherwise, and explain the limits of ICE powers. Among memo items: • 'Do Not Provide Access Without a Warrant' • 'Do not bring an employee to ICE or direct them to an exit.' • 'What to Do if ICE is Waiting Outside' • 'Do Not Consent to a Search — ICE agents may ask to search your belongings. You have the right to refuse unless they have a warrant.' The various labor unions whose workers service stadiums and arenas have been working to inform and protect their members since Trump took office. 'Our union contract protects workers from ICE raids by obligating the employer to demand a warrant before allowing any searches in the workplace or of I-9 documents (verifying employment eligibility), and our members know their rights,' said Yulisa Elenes, vice president of the Unite Here Local 2, which represents food service workers at Oracle Park, the Oakland Coliseum/Arena, and other venues. 'We're currently in contract negotiations with Aramark, and given the climate of fear about workplace raids, we're negotiating for even stronger protections.' Last February, Huerta told the Chronicle, 'We do know-your-rights training and make available legal counseling. … We're considering (requesting) legislation that would obligate employers to post and make available know-your-rights information, so workers feel a sense that they are protected, whether they're at work or at home.' But the concept of protection becomes increasingly nebulous with every new account of commando-style raids by heavily-armed ICE agents wearing masks, showing no ID, asking no questions and making workers disappear. A San Francisco restaurant owner told this story: 'We ran out of ice the other night. I called for more, and I told our hostess to alert the kitchen staff when the delivery arrived. It got here, the hostess popped her head into the kitchen and shouted, 'The ice is here!' 'Everyone disappeared. One guy was hiding on top of the walk-in refrigerator, three of them were in a closet.' The restaurant owner told the story without so much as a smile. He knows he might soon face his own courage check.
San Francisco Chronicle
8 hours ago
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
ICE agents denied entry to Dodger Stadium parking lot hours before game against Padres
Images that circulated on social media Thursday morning appeared to show about a dozen U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement vans attempt to enter the Dodger Stadium parking lot the same day the Dodgers were reportedly expected to announce plans to assist immigrant communities impacted by the recent turmoil in Los Angeles. ICE agents were ultimately denied access, the team announced. 'This morning, ICE agents came to Dodger Stadium and requested permission to access the parking lots,' the Dodgers wrote in a statement on X. 'They were denied entry to the grounds by the organization. Tonight's game will be played as scheduled.' While the Dodgers own a controlling interest in the stadium parking lot, former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt still owns a portion of the lot. It is unclear the circumstances that led ICE to try to use Parking Lot 'E' as a staging area Thursday. The Dodgers remained silent on the federal raids and riots that terrorized a number of Los Angeles communities, until it was reported Wednesday night their intention to announce an assistance program for those affected. Dodgers utility player Kiké Hernández, who grew up in San Juan, Puerto Rico, first spoke up about the situation Saturday via an Instagram post, which included both an English and Spanish translation: 'I may not be Born & Raised, but this city adopted me as one of their own. 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' The Dodgers are scheduled to host the San Diego Padres at 7:10 p.m. This is a breaking story. Check back for updates.
Black America Web
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Black America Web
Trump Pledges To Target Democratic Cities With ICE Raids, Social Media Calls Out His Diet Fascism
President Donald Trump, as usual, raised eyebrows and provoked outrage when he lied his way through a reporter's question about why he has pledged to target Democratic cities with his oppressive, Gestapo-like crackdown on undocumented migrants via U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during the G7 conference in Canada. 'Why are you ordering ICE to target Democratic inner cities? What's behind that?' the reporter asked, to which the stable genius who is totally not in cognitive decline responded, 'I don't know what you're saying.' 'You did a post last night where you said you want ICE to really target Democrats?' the reporter clarified (despite his straightforward question needing no clarification). That's when Trump began saying things that were certainly words, but served, as usual, to insult his political opponents, bash President Joe Biden, lie about migrants being emptied out of prisons into America, and spread misinformation about Democratic-run cities that he clearly doesn't like. 'Yeah, I want them to focus on the cities, because the cities are where you really have what's called sanctuary cities, and that's where the people are,' Trump said. 'I look at New York. I look at Chicago. I mean, you got a really bad governor in Chicago and a bad mayor, but the governor's probably the worst in the country, Pritzker. But I look at how that city has been overrun by criminals. And, you know, New York and L.A. Look at L.A. Those people weren't from L.A. They weren't from California, most of those people, many of those people, and, yeah, that's the focus. Biden allowed 21 million people to come into our country. Of that, vast numbers of those people were murderers, killers, people from gangs, people from jails. They emptied their jails out into the U.S. Most of those people are in the cities, all blue cities, all Democrat-run cities, and they think they're gonna use them to vote. It's not gonna happen.' In fact, none of that ever did happen. Trump's oft-repeated claim that nations around the globe have emptied their prisons and insane asylums and sent criminals to the U.S. is a factless assertion that Trump, apparently, conjured out of thin air. (Or he got it from whoever told him about the fictional 'white genocide' in South Africa.) As for his claim that the 'vast numbers of those people were murderers' and criminals, the data shows that nearly half of ICE detainees either have no criminal record at all or have only been convicted of minor offenses, including traffic violations. According to Reuters, 'U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention statistics show the number of detainees arrested by ICE with no other criminal charges or convictions rose from about 860 in January to 7,800 this month – a more than 800% increase.' Trump has been bloviating about undocumented migrants causing a rise in crime in the U.S. since the start of his 2024 campaign, completely ignoring the migrant crime data that says the opposite is true, as well as the data that shows violent crime in America has done almost nothing but decline over the last four or five decades. Anyway, the fine folks on X (including some Democratic lawmakers) are calling Trump's targeting of Democratic cities exactly what it appears to be: more of the diet fascist nonsense that the Trump administration passes off as a White House agenda. Some have even insinuated that Trump is just taking revenge on cities that engaged in anti-Trump 'No Kings' protests across the nation over the weekend. (Oh, come on, a sitting president would never be that childish, petty and corrupt, would they?) Check out some of the reactions below. Trump Pledges To Target Democratic Cities With ICE Raids, Social Media Calls Out His Diet Fascism was originally published on Black America Web Featured Video CLOSE
