Two of Los Angeles’ 12 major professional sports franchises issued official statements on ice attacks and protests regarding the city’s immigration enforcement operations, with a vast, diverse immigrant population and sports fan base.
Operation Ice, part of the massive deportation goal promised by the Trump administration, sparked a week of community unrest, including protests in downtown Los Angeles last week. President Trump said in a social media post Sunday that he had directed federal immigration officials to expand their operations in Los Angeles and other cities.
The administration highlights arrests that include undocumented individuals convicted of violent crimes. Those caught up in the nationwide attacks include asylum seekers, those who have continued visas and immigrants waiting for a day in immigration courts.
The majority of the resulting protests were in parts of downtown Los Angeles, near the federal building that includes the federal detention center. Marines and federal national guard forces have been sent to LA by the Trump administration over objections from state and local leaders.
California has 10.6 million immigrants, more than any other state, according to the California Institute of Public Policy. The Pew Research Center estimates that 1.8 million immigrants in California have not been documented in 2022, down from 2.8 million in 2007.
Most of the state’s immigrant population is in large coastal counties such as Los Angeles County, where around 3.5 million people, or around 35% of the county’s population, are immigrants. According to the report, Los Angeles County has around 809,000 undocumented immigrants, with a population of 9.6 million.
See below for a summary of community anxiety from the professional sports world in Los Angeles.
Angel City Football Club
Angel City FC was the first of Los Angeles’ leading professional sports teams to release a statement supporting the city’s immigrant communities.
“We are heartbroken by the fear and uncertainty of the Los Angeles community,” the team said in a June 7th X post.
The message came from reports of immigration enforcement near Home Depot in Paramount, a day after protesters protesting against communities in southern Los Angeles County and federal agents arrested people in and around downtown Los Angeles.
The team wore black t-shirts decorated with “Immigrant City Football Club” throughout Freon, with “Los Angeles is for Everyone” and “Los Angeles Espalato dos” on their backs. The shirts will be distributed to fans at Saturday’s games and sold at the team’s official shop, with all net proceeds going to Camino Immigration Services.
Los Angeles Football Club
In a June 8th post on Instagram, LAFC said: “LAFC believes that the true strength of our community comes from the people and cultures that make up this beautifully diverse city tapestry. Today, when many of our cities feel fear and uncertainty, LAFC stands shoulder to shoulder with all members of our community.”
In the June 8 match against BMO Stadium’s Sports Kansas City, fans held signs of opposition to the aggressive immigration enforcement business. I read, “I can’t pretend that everything is okay, it’s not okay.” 3252, an independent LAFC supporters group, silently protested during the 3-1 victory before chanting at halt.
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers, a franchise with deep ties to the Latino community in Los Angeles, have not released an official statement regarding the recent ice attacks and protests.
The most vocal member of the team on this issue was the fan favorite Kiké Hernández. In a Sunday Instagram post, Hernández, born in Puerto Rico, said that she was “sad and angry” due to recent immigration enforcement measures.
“I may have been born and raised, but the city adopted me as one of their own,” Hernandez said in his post, showing his photos of him in an oversight with the downtown Los Angeles skyline. “I am saddened and angry about what is going on in our country and in our cities. The Los Angeles and Dodger fans have welcomed me, supported me, showed nothing but kindness and love. This is my second home.
Manager Dave Robert briefly touched on the issue at a pre-game press conference last week.
“When you have to bring people in and when you know, it’s like all the anxiety, it’s certainly anxious for everyone,” manager Dave Roberts said on June 13 at a pre-game press conference at Dodger Stadium.
The NBCLA has contacted the Dodgers, Angels, Sparks, Lakers, Clippers, Kings, Ducks, Galaxy, Lamb and Charger to issue a statement to add to this article. The team has not issued an official official statement as of Monday afternoon.
