Photo: Alamy
A brief appearance by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents near Dodger Stadium on Thursday caused a stir in Los Angeles, with media speculating about an attempted Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation that was later denied.
Witnesses reported seeing multiple vans and dozens of federal agents staged near the stadium early Thursday, though only a small number remained by midday.
Initial speculation that the agents were with ICE was further fueled by the tense atmosphere following recent immigration enforcement actions in the Los Angeles area, which have triggered widespread protests and property damage estimated at $20 million. In response, President Donald Trump deployed National Guard troops to the city, a move criticized by California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.
ICE denied it had any involvement at the stadium. “We were never there,” the agency said in a statement.
The DHS also sought to clarify the incident, stating: “This had nothing to do with the Dodgers. [U.S. Customs and Border Protection] vehicles were in the stadium parking lot very briefly, unrelated to any operation or enforcement.”
The DHS X post cited the baseball team’s post that read, “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.”
Despite the denials, the appearance of federal vehicles sparked backlash. Dodgers player Kiké Hernández responded to the reports with a sharply worded social media post, calling himself “infuriated” and expressing solidarity with the local immigrant community.
“This is my second home,” Hernández wrote. “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.”
Tensions are likely to intensify after President Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, confirmed that ICE will resume raids targeting farms, hotels and other businesses that depend on immigrant labor.
“We will concentrate on worksites on a prioritized basis just like we do at large operations,” he told reporters on Thursday.
