The Los Angeles Dodgers turned away Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents attempting to enter parking lots at Dodger Stadium on Thursday morning, the team said.
“This morning, ICE agents came to Dodger Stadium and requested permission to access the parking lots,” the franchise wrote on social media. “They were denied entry to the grounds by the organization. Tonight’s game will be played as scheduled.”
Los Angeles has been the site of some of the largest protests against ICE and President Trump’s crackdown on immigration. Trump called the National Guard into the city earlier this month over the objections of state and local leaders.
A crowd gathered outside Dodger Stadium on Thursday, and several federal agents were nearby, KNBC reported.
“This had nothing to do with the Dodgers,” the Department of Homeland Security wrote on social media. “[Customs and Border Patrol] vehicles were in the stadium parking lot very briefly, unrelated to any operation or enforcement.”
Los Angeles City Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez was part of the crowd outside Dodger Stadium and told KNBC the ICE agents appeared to be using the area for staging operations.
Several ICE raids were reported throughout Southern California on Thursday morning, part of an increasing immigration crackdown ordered by Trump’s administration.
Last week, Trump claimed he would ask ICE to back off enforcement at farms, construction sites and tourist locations. However, he changed the plans this week and approved more raids, in part targeting L.A.
The Dodgers enjoy a large following among the city’s Spanish-speaking immigrant community, and some people have criticized the team for not speaking out against the ICE operations.
