The Los Angeles Dodgers stated on Thursday they denied US immigration enforcement brokers entry to the car parking zone at Dodger Stadium earlier within the day.
“This morning, ICE brokers got here to Dodger Stadium and requested permission to entry the parking heaps,” the staff stated in a publish on X.
“They had been denied entry to the grounds by the group. Tonight’s recreation shall be performed as scheduled.”
However Ice stated in a response to the Dodgers tweet that its brokers “had been by no means there”, and Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for public affairs on the DHS, stated in a press release that “this had nothing to do with the Dodgers. CBP autos had been within the stadium car parking zone very briefly, unrelated to any operation or enforcement.”
The backwards and forwards solely added to nervousness in a metropolis left on edge by frequent and brazen immigration enforcement actions.
The homeland safety presence got here as immigrant communities in LA are on excessive alert as federal brokers have raided workplaces, parking heaps and a swap-meet in the hunt for undocumented immigrants.
Because the division stepped up enforcement within the area, there have been persistent rumors that the stadium of the Dodgers, a staff which has a big Latino fanbase, could also be a goal.
On Thursday, a number of native journalists had noticed dozens of DHS autos, with masked officers, close to Dodger Stadium. The brokers refused to inform a Los Angeles Instances reporter why they had been there.
A supply advised the newspaper that federal brokers met close to the stadium for a briefing however departed when pictures of their assembly began to unfold on social media.
Kevin Takumi, a videographer and photographer for Fox’s Los Angeles affiliate, posted aerial video on X displaying a number of vans and SUVs, and obvious immigration officers, round entrances to the stadium.
“Ice brokers are taking on positions on the entrances to Dodger Stadium, media and crowd starting to reach,” Takumi wrote.
Jack Harris, the Dodgers beat author for the Los Angeles Instances, stated on X: “Concerning the pictures going round on social media this morning about ICE brokers at Dodger Stadium: sources say Ice brokers tried to entry Dodger Stadium immediately, however had been denied entry to the grounds by the staff.”
One other journalist, Fabian Ardaya, who covers the Dodgers for the Athletic, wrote: “Ice brokers tried to entry Dodger Stadium this morning however had been denied by the Dodgers. Pictures had circulated this morning of brokers showing to make use of the parking heaps as a staging space.”
Protesters arrived at Dodger Stadium quickly after. Police fashioned a line in entrance of one of many stadium’s entrances, LAist reported.
Tv cameras confirmed that about 4 brokers remained on the lot on Thursday afternoon, whereas officers with the Los Angeles police division stood between them and dozens of protesters, some carrying indicators that learn “I Like My Ice Crushed” and chanting “Ice out of LA!”
Eunisses Hernandez, an LA metropolis council member, stated she had been in communication with Dodgers officers and the mayor’s workplace.
“We’ve been in communication with the mayor’s workplace, with the Dodgers, with Dodgers safety, about seeing if they’ll get them moved off their personal property,” she advised KABC-TV.
“Public property is completely different. Personal property – companies and firms have the ability to say, ‘Not on my property’. And so we’re ready to see that motion occur right here.”
The Dodgers and San Diego Padres are taking part in in Los Angeles on Thursday night at 7.10pm native time. There can even be a star softball recreation to have a good time Black Heritage Evening, CNN stated.
The Dodgers have come beneath fireplace in current weeks from a part of its fanbase for not talking up for LA’s immigrant group amid the raids.
On Saturday, singer Vanessa Hernández sang the US nationwide anthem in Spanish, as a protest in opposition to the immigration raids. Hernández, who performs beneath the stage identify Nezza, stated the Dodgers advised her to sing in English.
The staff stated it can announce its plans for serving to immigrant communities harmed by current raids later this week.
