MLS commissioner Don Garber defended the league’s ban on political signage from fan groups but said that teams are allowed to make political statements in a press conference with reporters before the MLS All-Star game on Wednesday evening.
Asked by the Guardian US to comment on protests and statements from MLS supporters’ groups against Immigration Customs Enforcement (Ice) and the federal government’s broader immigration crackdown, Garber said that the league’s primary concern is keeping games safe for fans to attend. The commissioner said that ensuring fan groups do not unveil displays that are political in nature is part of that goal.
“We want to ensure that we’re having displays that are not going to incite anyone,” Garber said in part. “The best way to do that is to have the policy we have, which prohibits having political signage or anything to do with legislative acts on display in our stadiums.
“I understand and sympathize with those that are impacted by this. I grew up in a very diverse environment. We are a very diverse league, but we have to be very thoughtful about how we engage in this situation.”
MLS has said in the past that it estimates around 30% of its fans are Hispanic.
As Ice raids have taken place in public places across the country, numerous MLS supporters’ groups have spoken out about how the current environment contributes to them feeling unsafe at MLS games. In May, Latino supporters of Nashville SC paused gameday activities due to Ice’s crackdown, telling SixOneFive Soccer that they feel “targeted”, and the Athletic that they feel “hunted” given the general environment in the state.
In this past weekend’s LAFC v LA Galaxy match, LAFC supporters unveiled a tifo reading “Los Angeles unidos jamás será vencido” (“Los Angeles, united, will never be defeated”) after Ice raids in the California metropolis that led to more than 2,700 arrests. As of mid-June, Ice data shows there were more than 11,700 people in immigration detention who had been arrested despite having no track record of being charged with or convicted of a crime.
LAFC issued a statement about the Los Angeles raids, saying that “today, when so many in our city are feeling fear and uncertainty, LAFC stands shoulder to shoulder with all members of our community”. At time of writing, they remain the only MLS team to have made such a statement. The LA Galaxy banned fans responsible for displaying anti-Ice banners at a recent game, with other supporters boycotting the match against LAFC in protest.
Anti-Ice banners have also been seen in Austin, the site of Wednesday’s All-Star game, Chicago and other markets.
Asked whether he thinks the league has a responsibility to protect fans as Ice raids continue across the country, and how the league is thinking about this topic generally, Garber said: “I don’t think the league has the ability to serve as an entity to protect anyone. That being said, we want our stadiums to stay safe.”
However, he said, “if teams want to make a statement, they can. I don’t think any team should be required to. Certainly the league is not, has not, and will not make a statement on this. We just want to continue to do whatever we can to ensure that our games are safe for all of our fans.”
