Los Angeles
CNN
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The Los Angeles Dodgers and the federal government are in conflict with what happened Thursday when federal agents were on or near Dodger Stadium property.
Reports began to spread about federal agents in stadiums outside downtown Los Angeles, sparking concerns that Trump administration’s immigrant crackdown had come to the World Series champions’ home hours before the game against the San Diego Padres. Protesters rushed to the area and began chanting anti-US Immigration Customs (ICE) slogans with federal agents.
The Dodgers then posted to X that ice had come to the stadium and requested access to the property.
“This morning, the ice agents came to Dodger Stadium and requested permission to access the parking lot. They were denied entry to the organization’s basis. Tonight’s game will be played on schedule,” the team said in a post on X.
But soon after that post, the Department of Homeland Security said the agents at Dodger Stadium were not from the ice, and their presence had nothing to do with the immigrant crackdown that confused Los Angeles.
According to CBP officials who claim there are no operations related to the MLB club, the US customs and border security vehicles are located in a nearby parking lot, one of which had a malfunction in the car they stayed in for a long time.
In the Los Angeles area, CBP agents are influx of CBP agents shortly after protests against President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda. To respond to these protests, the Department of Homeland Security has spiked agency staffing in areas, including border agents, many of which remain in the area.
“This had nothing to do with the Dodgers. The CBP vehicles were in very short time in stadium parking lots that were not related to any operation or execution,” Deputy Director Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.
Dodger Stadium is located in a relatively isolated area within the population of major metropolitan cities. The stadium is located in Los Angeles’ Elysian Park area and is retreating from the main road by bending an access drive to an acre of car park surrounding the stadium. It is unclear exactly what parking lot the federal agents were in when the vehicle malfunctioned. There is a large parking lot on the stadium site, and there is a parking lot used by overflow and stadium employees when the site is filled.
The video shown by Affiliate KABC showed federal agents stationed on one of the streets leading to the stadium. CNN contacted Ice for comments.
The fierce reactions from the Dodgers, the public and federal government exemplify the tensions that are now holding on to the Los Angeles area as the administration’s immigration crackdown protests against ice and protests against the Dodgers, protesting against the Dodgers in support of largely Latinx fans.
The Dodgers will announce plans later Thursday to support immigrant communities affected by recent immigration operations.
The team is scheduled to play the San Diego Padres in Los Angeles on Thursday, and will host a celebrity softball game hosted by star player Mookie Betts to celebrate Black Heritage Night. The Dodgers have averaged over 50,000 fans per home game this season. This is the only team in the majors that brings more fans per game. The home game against the Padres on Thursday could be a hot ticket as the two teams are rivals in the National League West Division.
The federal action comes days after singer Neza, whose full name Vanessa Hernandez played the US national anthem in Spanish on Saturday. She had initially planned to sing the national anthem in Spanglish, but in an ongoing migrant raid she decided to sing in Spanish only.
She says an employee on the team told her not to do so. It didn’t discourage her and played the song in Spanish anyway.
Her performance came on the same day protesters filled streets across the country for “no Kings” protests, and Los Angeles’ frustration continued due to the ice attacks that have occurred within the past few weeks.
The team has not spoken outwardly about the ongoing frustrations of the ongoing immigration crackdown occurring in the city, but star-player dodger player Quique Hernandez, a Puerto Rican native, showed support for Los Angeles in an Instagram post.
“I am saddened and angry about what is going on in our country and in our city,” Hernandez said in part. “Fans in Los Angeles and the Dodger welcomed me, supported me, showed me nothing but kindness and love.”
“This is my second home, and I can’t see our community being violated, profiled, abused and torn,” he said, adding, “All people deserve to be treated with respect, dignity and human rights.”
CNN’s Sara Smart contributed to this report.
