A demonstrator holds up a sign as they protest in front of the main entrance of Dodger Stadium on Thursday.
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The Los Angeles Dodgers have announced they will commit $1 million towards financial assistance for families of immigrants “impacted by recent events in the region.”
The announcement, made on Friday, did not specify exactly what “recent events” referred to, but it comes amid ongoing federal immigration raids targeting migrants in the area, and calls from the Dodgers’ fanbase for the organization to speak out against them.
“What’s happening in Los Angeles has reverberated among thousands upon thousands of people, and we have heard the calls for us to take a leading role on behalf of those affected,” the Dodgers president and CEO, Stan Kasten, said in a statement.
“We believe that by committing resources and taking action, we will continue to support and uplift the communities of Greater Los Angeles.”
The announcement said the Dodgers would work with the City of Los Angeles, and in the coming days make more announcements with local community and labor organizations that support families with food and mental health services.
Federal immigration enforcement sparked heated protests in Los Angeles this month and ongoing legal challenges over President Trump’s decision to send National Guard troops into the city.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who has been sharply critical of the Trump administration’s intervention, was also quoted in the Dodgers statement.
“These last weeks have sent shockwaves of fear rippling through every neighborhood and have had a direct impact on our economy,” she said. “My message to all Angelenos is clear: We will stick together during this time and we will not turn our backs on one another — that’s what makes this the greatest city in the world.”
Action at the stadium
The financial pledge came one day after the Dodgers found themselves in a war of words with immigration authorities.
On Thursday morning, several vehicles were seen parked near the stadium and five people in tactical gear were gathered nearby, according to LAist, which reported that protestors and media then came to the scene.
Police officers stand guard as they close the gate of the main entrance of Dodger Stadium faced with protesters on Thursday.
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“This morning, ICE agents came to Dodger Stadium and requested permission to access the parking lots,” the Dodgers wrote in a post on X. “They were denied entry to the grounds by the organization.”
Responding on X, the Los Angeles branch of Enforcement and Removal Operations, which operates within ICE, denied the Dodgers’ report.
“False. We were never there,” the agency wrote.
The Department of Homeland Security also posted on X that the activity “had nothing to do with the Dodger.”
“CBP vehicles were in the stadium parking lot very briefly, unrelated to any operation or enforcement,” the department wrote.
Police officers stand guard as they close the gate of the main entrance of Dodger Stadium on Thursday.
Etienne Laurent/AFP via Getty Images
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Etienne Laurent/AFP via Getty Images
Trump has made clear that he wants ICE to continue targeting Los Angeles, and to put the heat on other cities with majority Democratic leadership.
“ICE Officers are herewith ordered, by notice of this [post], to do all in their power to achieve the very important goal of delivering the single largest Mass Deportation Program in History,” the president posted on Truth Social.
“In order 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.”
