Dodgers Issue Rare Statement Amid ICE Presence Outside Stadium Gates

When the presence of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency ("ICE") officials at Gate E outside Dodger Stadium garnered attention on social media, a peaceful protest formed, according to multiple reports Thursday. The Los Angles Police Department also arrived.

With some fans perhaps wary of attending the scheduled 7 p.m. game between the Dodgers and San Diego Padres, it makes sense that the team would issue a statement to calm fears among those planning to attend the game.

DodgersNation.com reported that ICE brought detainees to Dodger Stadium following a raid in Hollywood. However, the Dodgers denied them access to the grounds.

According to Molly Knight on Bluesky, the protesters dispersed after LAPD officers escorted ICE agents through the stadium gates, perhaps to avoid a skirmish.

Wednesday, the Dodgers announced plans for assistance to immigrant communities "impacted by the recent events in Los Angeles." The team had come under criticism for its belated response to several reported incidents of racial profiling in the city.

Many Dodgers employees past and present — including utility player Kiké Hernández, former first baseman and current broadcaster Adrian Gonzalez, and longtime Spanish-language play-by-play voice Jaime Jarrin — had spoken out against ICE's actions on their personal social media accounts while the team remained silent.

For anyone closely monitoring the Dodgers' political stance toward ICE, and law enforcement more broadly, perhaps their actions Thursday will speak louder than any words.

As Knight wrote Thursday, "it’s not just about the people who have been taken by ICE. The local economy around Dodger Stadium has been decimated as Hispanic and Latino community members (even American citizens) are terrified to go to work. Grassroots orgs want Dodgers to help local businesses getting destroyed by ICE."