LOS ANGELES – The unrest centered on ICE raids throughout the Los Angeles area has found its way to Dodger Stadium.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents were denied access to Dodger Stadium this morning. The agents were seen staging near a stadium entrance in videos that appeared on social media but were not allowed to enter. News cameras showed some of the ICE contingent parked outside the stadium entrance for some time before being escorted away by Los Angeles police as protesters arrived at the site.

The Dodgers acknowledged the incident in a statement, saying “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.”

It is unclear for what purpose ICE wanted to access the Dodger Stadium parking lots.

A small group gathers at Gate E Downtown Gate at Dodger Stadium having heard that ICE had staged here this morning. Photo: Dean Musgrove, SCNG 

At Gate E of the stadium, police initially lined up across the entrance. Protesters faced the officers, playing music and holding signs declaring opposition to immigration enforcement operations, reading “ICE out of LA” and that families should not be separated.

Police advised protesters that if they crossed the gate into the stadium, they would be subject to arrest and dissolved the line of officers at the stadium gate around 12:30 p.m., remaining in their vehicles past the entrance to the stadium.

After reports that the Dodgers organization declined ICE agents access to the grounds, a group of roughly two dozen individuals remained at the gates, some donning Dodger jerseys and hats.

Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez arrived at the stadium and said she had been in communication with Dodger officials and the mayor’s office.

“We’ve been in communication with the mayor’s office, with the Dodgers, with Dodgers security, about seeing if they can get them moved off their private property,” she told KABC-TV. “Public property is different. Private property — businesses and corporations have the power to say, ‘Not on my property,’ And so we’re waiting to see that movement happen here.”

The team has been silent on the civil unrest over the past two weeks prompted by increasingly aggressive ICE raids and President Donald Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops and Marines against the wishes of California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. However, the Dodgers are expected to make an announcement on Thursday regarding an effort to support immigrant communities.

News of ICE agents staging in the area prompted some protesters to gather at an entrance to the stadium. Los Angeles police responded to the scene.

The Dodgers have a long, tangled history with the Latino community in Los Angeles. An entire community was displaced from Chavez Ravine in order to build Dodger Stadium in the early 1960s. It wasn’t until Fernando Valenzuela arrived with the team and became an iconic figure to his fellow Mexicans that those wounds were healed. Now, Latino fans make up a large portion of their fan base.

Popular utilityman Kiké Hernandez has been the only Dodger player willing to comment on the situation. He posted this on Instagram:

“I may not be Born & Raised, but this city adopted me as one of their own. I am saddened and infuriated by what’s happening in our country and our city. Los Angeles and Dodger fans have welcomed me, supported me and shown me nothing but kindness and love. This is my second home. And I cannot stand to see our community being violated, profiled, abused and ripped apart. ALL people deserve to be treated with respect, dignity and human rights. #CityOfImmigrants.”

The L.A. City Council on Wednesday welcomed Nezza to perform the U.S. National Anthem in the Council Chamber, days after the musician sang a Spanish rendition of the song at a Dodgers game after being told by the team not to.

“I’m very proud today to have a proud American of Dominican and Colombiana, tambien, los dos, standing here with us today,” City Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez said. “In a moment in time when our community continues to be targeted, racially profiled and frankly, abducted across the country, she did something very profound.”

The musician, whose name is Vanessa Hernandez, performed a roughly 90-second rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” in Spanish, prompting a standing ovation from council members, city staff and some members in the audience.

On Saturday, Nezza’s performance at Dodger Stadium went viral on social media, as well as a behind-the-scenes video she posted, in which a representative for the team asked her not to perform the anthem in Spanish.

In her TikTok video, Nezza is seen talking with a Dodger employee, who is off-camera. The representative can be heard saying, “We are going to do the song in English today, so I’m not sure if that wasn’t transferred or if that wasn’t relayed.”

Staff writer Sierra van der Brug, The Associated Press and City News Service contributed to this report

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