LA Dodgers Pledge $1 Million In Aid To Illegal Immigrant Families Impacted by ICE Operations

Authored by Aldgra Fredly via The Epoch Times,

The Los Angeles Dodgers said on Friday that it has committed $1 million in financial aid to support illegal immigrant families affected by recent federal immigration operations in Los Angeles.

The Dodgers has refrained from directly referring to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in its statement, instead expressing its intent to help illegal immigrants affected by “recent events” in the city.

“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,” Los Angeles Dodgers president and CEO Stan Kasten said in a statement.

The Dodgers also stated that it plans to partner with the local community and labor organizations, including the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, in the coming days to provide more support to those affected.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass expressed her gratitude to the Dodgers for providing support.

“These last weeks have sent shockwaves of fear rippling through every neighborhood and have had a direct impact on our economy,” Bass said in the statement.

The Dodgers said on June 19 that it had denied ICE officers access to the parking lot at Dodger Stadium, although Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials disputed this claim.

DHS clarified that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) vehicles used the Dodger Stadium parking lot only “very briefly,” and that they had “nothing to do with the Dodgers.”

The department also made clear that CBP’s presence at the stadium was “unrelated to any operation or enforcement.”

Los Angeles has just experienced two weeks of protests stemming from the arrest of dozens of illegal immigrants as part of federal deportation efforts. Hundreds of protesters have been arrested in the demonstrations, which led to property damage and injuries.

President Donald Trump authorized the deployment of the National Guard and Marines to quell riots and protect federal property, despite objections from California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Trump said on June 16 that ICE officers have been subjected to violence and threats from opponents of the operation, but added that it won’t deter his administration from carrying out its mandate.

“Our federal government will continue to be focused on the remigration of aliens to the places from where they came, and preventing the admission of anyone who undermines the domestic tranquility of the United States,” the president stated in a Truth Social post.

Trump urged ICE agents to do everything they can to carry out what he called the “largest mass deportation operation of illegal aliens in history,” with a particular focus on sanctuary cities, such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, where many illegal immigrants are located.