The Los Angeles Dodgers mentioned Thursday that federal immigration brokers tried to realize entry to stadium grounds, however had been denied entry by the Dodgers group.
The Main League Baseball staff posted concerning the incident after masked brokers had been seen staging Division of Homeland safety automobiles exterior the stadium in Los Angeles’ Elysian Park neighborhood.
“This morning, ICE brokers got here to Dodger Stadium and requested permission to entry the parking heaps,” the staff posted on X. “They had been denied entry to the grounds by the group. Tonight’s sport will probably be performed as scheduled.”
Photograph by Zin Chiang by way of Getty Photos
Division of Homeland Safety Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin mentioned in an announcement to HuffPost that the brokers current on the stadium had been with Customs and Border Patrol.
“This had nothing to do with the Dodgers,” she mentioned. “CBP automobiles had been within the stadium parking zone very briefly, unrelated to any operation or enforcement.”
Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, in the meantime, mentioned its brokers weren’t current on the stadium right now.
“ICE was by no means at Dodgers stadium, and thus by no means tried to realize entry,” an ICE spokesperson mentioned.
Images published by the Los Angeles Times present a number of federal brokers exterior one of many stadium’s parking zone entrances. The brokers had been sporting face coverings and sun shades.
Protesters gathered exterior the stadium as phrase spread on social media about ICE’s presence, chanting “ICE out of LA” and holding indicators with slogans like “I like my ICE crushed.” According to LAist, Los Angeles Police Division officers arrived on the scene and blocked the stadium entrance.
ICE raids in America’s second largest metropolis have prompted mass protests in current weeks. Many Angelenos have known as on the Dodgers to make an announcement on the affect ICE raids have had on Los Angeles’ immigrant group, given the staff’s massive Latino fan base.
The staff additionally confronted backlash earlier this month after Nezza, a Dominican American singer, sang the Spanish-language model of “The Star-Spangled Banne” earlier than a Dodgers sport regardless that she mentioned the group requested her to sing in English. As HuffPost reported earlier this week, the Dodgers didn’t submit any movies of her efficiency on their social media accounts. Whereas the staff indicated there have been no laborious emotions, many followers expressed dismay that the Dodgers would ask her to carry out in English solely.
Following requires boycotts, the Dodgers had been expected to make an announcement Thursday on the continued ICE raids and element methods the staff plans to assist town’s immigrant inhabitants going ahead.
The Dodgers are nonetheless scheduled to play the San Diego Padres on Thursday night in Los Angeles.
