Amid ongoing protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Los Angeles, a contingent of federal agents reportedly approached Dodger Stadium on Thursday, only to be denied access by the Major League Baseball team.
According to reliable sources, these agents, clad in tactical gear, were seen congregating on the street leading into the stadium. The official Los Angeles Dodgers social media account later confirmed that these agents, identified as ICE officials, were indeed barred from entering the stadium grounds.
“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,” the organization stated.
The Department of Homeland Security quickly responded, asserting that the officers’ presence at the stadium “had nothing to do with the Dodgers,” and clarified that the agents were from Customs and Border Protection, not ICE. “CBP vehicles were in the stadium parking lot very briefly, unrelated to any operation or enforcement,” DHS said.
A small group of protesters was also seen near the stadium on Thursday. Demonstrations within the city, which began on June 6, continue unabated. Meanwhile, the Dodgers organization has been met with increasing criticism from protesters for remaining silent on the ongoing immigration raids within the city.
“The largest economic engine in this area is silent! Wake up! Do better! We know you can!” Raul Claros of California Rising said Thursday at a news conference, pointing to Dodger Stadium behind him.
Reports indicate that this demonstration follows a series of ICE raids in Los Angeles on Thursday, including one outside of a nearby Home Depot on Sunset Boulevard. Workers from Los Angeles City Council District 1 alerted the Los Angeles Police Department of the ICE staging near Dodger Stadium, local officials stated.
The police department then notified the Dodgers organization, which allegedly instructed the ICE agents to leave the property. However, a small group of federal agents remained at the location shortly after 11 a.m.
This development follows earlier reports that President Donald Trump recently instructed ICE officers to do “all in their power” to oversee the largest mass deportation program in history. “To achieve this, we must expand efforts to detain and deport Illegal Aliens in America’s largest Cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, where Millions upon Millions of Illegal Aliens reside,” Trump wrote in a lengthy social media post over the weekend.
According to the federal agency, ICE has made over 66,000 arrests in the first 100 days of Trump’s second term.
