Dodgers delay plans to help local immigrants amid California ICE raids after federal agents denied entry

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The Los Angeles Dodgers put off an announcement for plans to help local immigrants in light of recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids after federal agents were denied entry into stadium parking lots earlier Thursday.

“Because of the events earlier today, we continue to work with groups that were involved with our programs,” team president Stan Kasten said in a statement Thursday night. “But we are going to have to delay today’s announcement while we firm up some more details. We’ll get back to you soon with the timing.” 

ICE raids have swept through Southern California over the last several weeks at the orders of President Donald Trump, who has called on officials to “do all in their power to achieve the very important goal of delivering the single largest mass deportation program in history.” The raids have been met with local protests, which in turn saw hundreds of active duty Marines and National Guardsman sent to the area.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has condemned the “illegal militarization of Los Angeles” and called on Trump to rescind the order. In a lawsuit filed in federal court, Newsom said Trump “unlawfully bypassed” the governor in installing the National Guard in an “unprecedented power grab.” 

“I’m confident in the rule of law,” Newsom said in a statement earlier this week. “I’m confident in the Constitution of the United States. I’m confident in the reasoned decision issued last week by a very well respected federal judge. And I’m confident that common sense will prevail here: The U.S. military belongs on the battlefield, not on American streets.”

Federal agents denied access

The Dodgers on Thursday issued the following statement: 

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.

Photos and videos showed masked, uniformed agents at Dodger Stadium. The Department of Homeland Security said that it “had nothing to do with the Dodgers” and that it was actually Customs and Border Patrol in the lot.

“CBP vehicles were in the stadium parking lot very briefly, unrelated to any operation or enforcement,” DHS said in a statement.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement denied their presence, saying they were “never there.”

The Dodgers are scheduled to play the Padres at 10:10 p.m. ET, preceded by a celebrity softball game hosted by Mookie Betts to celebrate Black Heritage Night.

Team comments

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was recently asked about the situation and called it “unsettling” but said he had not taken the time to learn enough yet.

“I know that when you’re having to bring people in and deport people, all the unrest, it’s certainly unsettling for everyone,” Roberts said on June 13. “But I haven’t dug enough and can’t speak intelligently on it.”

Dodgers utility man Kiké Hernández, on the other hand, was explicit in his comments.

“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,” he wrote on social media. “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.”

National anthem controversy

On Saturday, Latin pop singer Nezza performed the national anthem in Spanish before the Dodgers’ home game, despite being told by the team that she must sing in English, she said later. 

“With everything that’s been happening, I just felt like I needed to stand with my people and show them that I’m with them,” she told CNN. “I wanted to represent them that day.”

She also told Variety that she initially proposed singing two renditions, one in English and one in Spanish, but was told there wasn’t enough time.

The singer, whose real name is Vanessa Hernández, claimed that she had then been banned from performing at Dodger Stadium again. A spokesperson for the team told the Los Angeles Times that this is not true and “she is certainly welcome back at the stadium.”

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