The Los Angeles Dodgers’ social media team gave people a glimpse at the new and updated tactics of the Trump administration in regard to immigration and deportation.
The Dodgers took to X to release a statement that ICE agents came to their facilities and requested permission to access their parking lot. The 2024 World Series champions then went on to say that they denied the agency access to their facilities and assured that their game against the San Diego Padres would go on as scheduled.
This morning, ICE agents came to Dodger Stadium and requested permission to access the parking lots. They were denied entry to the grounds by the organization. Tonight’s game will be played as scheduled.
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) June 19, 2025
ICE then responded that the allegations were false and that they were never actually there. DHS alleged that while CBP vehicles were at the stadium briefly, it wasn’t related to either the Dodgers or any enforcement operation directly. The Dodgers didn’t stoke the back-and-forth any further — but it’s unclear why ICE agents would request to enter their facilities if they didn’t have any plans to carry out an enforcement operation.
False. We were never there. https://t.co/ZquYiW0miQ
— U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (@ICEgov) June 19, 2025
This had nothing to do with the Dodgers.
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) June 19, 2025
CBP vehicles were in the stadium parking lot very briefly, unrelated to any operation or enforcement. https://t.co/nsQ8LNaHbb
Again, this is a situation where the truth could lie somewhere in between both claims, so we might actually never hear about this again. However, this situation lines up with new-age immigration policies. The ongoing FIFA Club World Cup is another sports tournament that has been a victim of ICE trying to use sports stadiums as a way to gain access to thousands of people whom they can evaluate for deportation.
LA itself has been a hotspot for ICE, and Kristi Noem has even made comments about their deportation policy being the first step in “liberating” the city. The Dodgers, for their part, have announced that they will assist immigrants from LA who have been negatively impacted by the ICE raid.
According to the BBC, Kike Hernández, who is one of the Dodgers’ star players, took to Instagram to respond to the raids, saying, “I’m saddened and infuriated by what’s happening in our country and our city. This is my second home. And I cannot stand to see our community being violated, profiled, abused, and ripped apart.”
Hernández is not the first sports person who has been forced to issue an official response to the Trump administration. That being said, Tom Homan, the official White House border czar, has announced that they will continue immigration enforcement not only at stadiums across the nation but also at worksites.
This comes amid news that the Trump administration is planning to find a way to prevent lawmakers from making impromptu visits to the detention centers. Sports organizations such as the Los Angeles Dodgers have clearly drawn a line in the sand to ensure both their fans and the administration know that — unlike the Hollywood studios — they do not plan on rolling over and letting Trump do his bidding.
Trump certainly has a lot on his plate with the Iran-Israel conflict, the economy, and even the bill that caused a rift between him and Elon Musk. Fans were a mix of torn at the state of the scary immigration policies and celebratory that a sports team — of all organizations — stood up for the people.
