El Paso Police arrest a migrant in front of Sacred Heart Church on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023.
Los Angeles, California – A procession of unmarked white vans and SUVs kicked off a new bout of confusion and protest outside Dodger Stadium Thursday when federal agents attempted to enter the ballpark’s parking lots but were rebuffed by the Dodgers organization.
In a statement, team officials confirmed that agents—believed to be from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)—were denied access to the stadium grounds after arriving at the Sunset Gate around 8 a.m.
“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,” the team said.
However, federal agencies quickly pushed back on that account. ICE publicly denied any involvement, posting on social media: “False. We were never there.” The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) clarified that the vehicles were from Customs and Border Protection (CBP), not ICE, and that the visit was not part of an enforcement operation. “This had nothing to do with the Dodgers,” DHS said. “CBP vehicles were in the stadium parking lot very briefly, unrelated to any operation or enforcement.”
Still, members of the Echo Park Rapid Response network say otherwise. Community organizer Emily Phillips told The Times she identified at least two vehicles at both the stadium and a Home Depot in Hollywood where an immigration raid took place earlier that morning. Photos she shared confirmed matching license plates. Phillips said a CBP officer at the stadium told her the site was used to process detainees arrested at the Home Depot “without public interference.”
The scene quickly drew attention from immigrant advocacy groups and protesters. Members of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) voiced outrage over the continued raids and the appearance—regardless of the DHS’s framing—that Dodger Stadium could be linked to enforcement activity.
“Dodger Stadium is a place where Angeleno families come and have fun,” said CHIRLA spokesperson Jorge-Mario Cabrera. “The fact that these raids continue is what we Angelenos should be very concerned about.”
The incident comes amid growing pressure on the Dodgers to speak out in support of immigrant communities. Earlier this week, singer and social media figure Nezza defied team instructions and performed the national anthem in Spanish in protest of the raids. On Wednesday, the team had planned to announce a new initiative to support immigrant communities, but President Stan Kasten said that statement would be delayed due to Thursday’s events.
As the Dodgers hosted the San Diego Padres that evening, a small group of protesters remained outside the stadium gates, holding signs shaped like the Dodgers logo reading “ICE out of L.A.” and calling attention to President Trump’s immigration policies.
One man, who remained protesting into the night, held an upside-down American flag. “This is an immigrant country,” he said. “He’s creating so much hate against our communities of immigrants… It’s not fair.”
By nightfall, the crowd had dispersed and the federal agents left the area. But the debate over immigration enforcement—and where it belongs in public life—remains far from settled.
