The Big Lead

Dodgers say ICE agents were denied entry to stadium

After going days without commenting on the reported incidents of racial profiling in andn around Los Angeles, the team's actions spoke louder than their words.

By J.P. Hoornstra

A sign at the entrance to Dodger Stadium at 1000 Vin Scully Avenue on June 16, 2023.
A sign at the entrance to Dodger Stadium at 1000 Vin Scully Avenue on June 16, 2023. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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The Los Angeles Dodgers were just hoping to play a baseball game Thursday night.

Exactly what the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) was doing outside the Dodger Stadium gates Thursday morning is unclear.

In any event, the Dodgers said ICE agents came requesting permission to access the parking lots, but were denied entry by the organization.

The Dodgers announced shortly after noon Thursday that their game against the Padres "will be played as scheduled," perhaps in hopes of calming fears among the team's largely Mexican-American fan base.

DodgersNation.com reported that ICE was attempting to bring detainees to the stadium following a raid in Hollywood. Molly Knight reported on Bluesky that the ICE vehicles were "there for hours."

However, Phil Lewis of The Huffington Post reported that an ICE spokesperson said the agency "was never at Dodgers stadium, and thus never tried to gain access."

Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times quoted a Department of Homeland Security official saying "this had nothing to do with the Dodgers. [U.S. Customs and Border Patrol] vehicles were in the stadium parking lot very briefly, unrelated to any operation or enforcement."

The contradictory messages coming from the government underscore the widespread confusion in the greater Los Angeles area. Before Thursday, the Dodgers had yet to comment on anything related to the reported incidents of racial profiling in the city. Meanwhile, Dodgers employees past and present — including utility player Kiké Hernández— have spoken out on their personal social media accounts.

Wednesday, the Dodgers announced "plans for assistance to immigrant communities impacted by the recent events in Los Angeles." Their actions are already speaking louder than their words.

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