Dozens of federal immigration agents were seen staging in a Dodgers Stadium parking lot Tuesday morning, a day after the team returned home to celebrate their back-to-back championships with thousands of Angelenos.
Videos shared with The Times and on TikTok, show agents in unmarked vehicles, donning green vests and equipped with white zip ties in parking lot 13, next to the Frank Hotchkin Memorial Training Center, which is used by the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Eyewitnesses on the ground told The Times they estimated there were about 100 agents with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, along with a special tactical unit with CBP. The agents left shortly before 10 a.m.
A spokesperson with the Dodgers could not immediately be reached for comment.
The staging of federal immigration agents comes just a day after thousands of Angelenos gathered at the stadium to celebrate the Dodgers ninth World Series championship following their victory parade through downtown L.A.
It is also sure to reignite controversy for the team. Five months ago, protests erupted outside the stadium gates when federal immigration used the parking lot as a processing site for people who had been arrested in a nearby immigration raid.
It was there where a U.S.Citizen said he was detained for hours and heard agents bragging about the number of people they were detaining.
The operation sparked public outcry and prompted more than 50 community and religious leaders from around Los Angeles to sign a petition that called on the Dodgers to take a public stance against the immigration raids.
At the time, the Dodgers said they had nothing to do with the operation and announced that they would pledge $1 million to assist families of immigrants affected by the raids. The team said it would plan for other initiatives as well.
“What’s happening in Los Angeles has reverberated among thousands upon thousands of people, and we have heard the calls for us to take a leading role on behalf of those affected,” team president Stan Kasten said in a statement at the time. “We believe that by committing resources and taking action, we will continue to support and uplift the communities of Greater Los Angeles.”
Times staff writer Rachel Uranga contributed to this article.
