Editor’s Note: Although initial reports indicated that ICE agents were on the property, it was later clarified that the agents were from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is sharing why agents were seen at Dodger Stadium on Thursday after the team announced that ICE agents were denied access to the stadium.
“This had nothing to do with the Dodgers. CBP vehicles were in the stadium parking lot very briefly, unrelated to any operation or enforcement,” the department posted on X.
ICE also confirmed that their agents were not at Dodger Stadium.
The clarification comes after images of government vehicles quickly spread on social media, prompting widespread speculation and criticism from fans.
NewsNation reporter Ali Bradley shared more insight into the situation on X.
“CBP teams went to Hollywood Home Depot to make apprehensions. They did; they were going to transfer them to transport vans off Sunset Boulevard, but when things escalated outside Home Depot, they went to an open parking lot at Dodger Stadium to make the consolidated transfer. Agents say no one came over and told them to leave.”
The appearance of federal agents comes as the Dodgers prepare to break their silence on the ongoing federal immigration raids in Los Angeles — operations that have left much of the team’s Latino fan base on edge.
The Dodgers’ initial decision to remain publicly silent has drawn sharp criticism and become a political flashpoint in the city. To date, Enrique “Kiké” Hernández is the only player to speak out about the raids.
A coalition of Latino advocacy groups has urged the Dodgers and other local professional sports teams to speak out as President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown continues across Los Angeles communities.
The organization has long enjoyed deep support from Southern California’s Latino community, a connection dating back to 1981’s “Fernandomania,” when Mexico-born pitcher Fernando Valenzuela won the Cy Young Award as a 20-year-old rookie.
Maria Valenzuela, Fernando’s daughter, also addressed the recent ICE raids in Los Angeles.
“I am a proud daughter of immigrant parents. They came to this country with dreams bigger than borders,” the post read. “The same country they gave everything to is tearing families apart. They are not criminals; they are hardworking people. They are pillars in our communities. Our Mothers, Fathers, and Neighbors. They deserve dignity, not deportation.”
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