On Thursday, June 19, the Los Angeles Dodgers shared via social media that they had denied U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, AKA ICE, permission to access their stadium parking lots. As someone who grew up in L.A. and knows that Los Doyers have a huge Latino fan-base — despite their stadium being built on land that was home to hundreds of Mexican Americans who were unceremoniously made to GTFO by the government — I thought, “OK, Dodgers, I see you taking a stand and I like it.”
You should know, I don’t tend to expect the Dodgers organization to do the right thing in these kinds of situations because too often I’ve seen them pander to the right. Oh, and on June 19, when singer Nezza decided to sing the national anthem in Spanish as a symbol of solidarity with those protesting Trump’s immigration raids, she said she was promptly told by Dodgers reps that she was no longer welcome.
So imagine my surprise when just days after the Nezza situation, the Dodgers reported that they took a stand against ICE agents by blocking them from using their stadium parking lots. I was cautiously proud, but as often happens on the internet and in real life, everything got murky super fast leaving me to wonder: Are the Dodgers heroes standing up for immigrant rights, liars, or just confused? And what really happened with Nezza?
Here’s what I found out:
According to the Dodgers, ICE showed up at their stadium on June 19. They posted via their official X account: “ICE agents came to Dodger Stadium and requested permission to access the parking lots,” but were denied entry. OK, that sounds like the organization was taking a bold stance. Please note that when I refer to the Dodgers, I am referring to the organization, not the players.
Local media and witnesses saw unmarked vehicles at the stadium’s main entrance.
According to local news reports and witnesses, unmarked vehicles showed up outside Gate A, the main entrance to Dodger Stadium, at around 8 a.m. with detainees they wanted to process and asked for permission to enter the parking lot. The Dodgers claim to have turned them away and say the agents then moved on to Gate E, which is referred to as the “Downtown Gate.”
Protesters started to show up at Gate E when the news got out.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the Dodgers asked local police for help clearing the area. When police got there, they asked both federal agents and protesters to leave. “They can’t be here. They’re kicking them out, too,” an officer said referring to the agents.
But ICE says they were never there.
A little over an hour after the Dodgers posted on X, ICE responded, “False. We were never there.” Hmm? That’s weird. Who’s lying because these stories are not lining up at all? And if it wasn’t ICE, who was in those unmarked white vans?
Then Homeland Security chimed in.
Adding to the online conversation started by the Dodgers, Homeland Security wrote: “This had nothing to do with the Dodgers. CBP vehicles were in the stadium parking lot very briefly, unrelated to any operation or enforcement.” FYI, CBP stands for U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
OK, so technically ICE wasn’t there, BUT the Dodgers didn’t really lie.
ICE and CBP are both part of the Department of Homeland Security. ICE focusses on interior immigration enforcement and CBP focuses on enforcement at borders and ports of entry. In other words, both ICE and CBP are la migra, so I think we can excuse people and the Dodgers for using the terms interchangeably. Immigration officers are immigration officers, ¿qué no?
But what about with Nezza situation, did the Dodger’s lie about that?
On June 14, Nezza sang the “Star Spangled Banner” in Spanish despite being asked not to by a Dodgers employee. Nezza decided to sing in Spanish anyway to show her support for people protesting immigration policies across the nation that same day.
According to Nezza, she was banned; the Dodgers beg to differ.
After Nezza, whose parents are from Colombia and the Dominican Republic, posted an emotional video explaining why she did what she did and concluding with, “It’s safe to say I’m never allowed in that stadium ever again,” the Dodgers told CNN in a statement that there were “no consequences or hard feelings.”
Weird because Nezza told CNN, “30 seconds after my performance, we actually received a call that said, ‘Don’t ever call us again. Don’t ever email us again. The rest of your clients are never welcome here again.’ So for me, that kind of feels like a ban.”
Who’s lying?
I believe that someone from the Dodgers organization definitely told Nezza’s team that she was persona non grata. I also believe that after all the hullaballoo and attention, the Dodgers probably don’t want to come off as the jerks who banned an artist for singing in Spanish.
In the end, I don’t think the Dodgers are heroes or intentional liars in these cases, although I do think they tend to bend the truth to their convenience. They are for sure confused as to where they stand as an organization when it comes to immigrant rights, though.
Ironically, they were expected to announce plans to assist immigrant groups affected by ICE enforcement actions on the same day that they turned federal agents away, but decided to postpone their announcement.
“Because of the events earlier today, we continue to work with groups that were involved with our programs,” said team president Stan Kasten. “But we are going to have to delay today’s announcement while we firm up some more details. We’ll get back to you soon with the timing.”
OK, Dodgers, we’re waiting.
