On Thursday, the Los Angeles Dodgers asserted that they had refused entry to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents at the ballpark grounds.
The Major League Baseball (MLB) organization stated on X that the agents had “requested permission to access the parking lots.”
In response, ICE refuted these claims, stating, “ICE was never at Dodgers stadium, and thus never tried to gain access.”
ICE further addressed the Dodgers on X, asserting, “False. We were never there.”
Early Thursday, law enforcement was observed outside Dodger Stadium, initially believed to be ICE, which prompted demonstrations. However, following ICE’s denial, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued a statement clarifying that “CBP vehicles were in the stadium parking lot very briefly,” and emphasized that it “had nothing to do with the Dodgers.”
According to a CBP spokesperson, the vehicles present on the stadium grounds were “unrelated to any operation or enforcement.”
An investigation is currently in progress to identify the sponsors behind the anti-immigration ICE protests in Los Angeles and other major U.S. cities, following a statement from a prominent corporation indicating it has received requests for assistance.
Crowds on Demand, a California-based company specializing in providing on-demand protest crowds, informed Fox News Digital that it had received “numerous high-budget requests” to participate in the anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles and other areas but chose to decline.
A spokesperson for the company stated that it opted not to engage in the events occurring in Los Angeles as it did “not want to get close to any form of illegal activity, including violence, vandalism, or blocking off roads without a permit.”
The company remarked, “We receive inquiries regarding practically every major social cause imaginable, and the anti-ICE demonstrations are no exception. The fact that we receive requests does not mean we take them, in many cases, because the budget does not match the ambition.”
The company stated that it only engages with “impactful commonsense causes that resonate with both liberals and conservatives, while consistently representing the commonsense viewpoint.”
“Even the organization of peaceful demonstrators regarding this issue (anti-ICE) could endanger those demonstrators due to the presence of violent agitators and the challenges faced by law enforcement in differentiating between peaceful and violent activists,” the company remarked.
Missouri Republican Senator Josh Hawley, who chairs the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism, disclosed that the committee is dispatching letters to several organizations believed to be responsible for the funding.
One of the organizations under scrutiny by Hawley and Republican California Representative Kevin Kiley is the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, or CHIRLA, an advocacy group purported to be central to the anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles.
“Who is financing the LA riots? This violence is not spontaneous. As the chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime & Terrorism, I am initiating an investigation to uncover the truth,” Hawley stated in a post on X.
Hawley’s letter emphasized that “credible reporting” has suggested that the organization has offered “logistical support and financial resources to individuals involved in these disruptive actions,” referring specifically to the Los Angeles riots.
“Let me clarify: financing civil unrest does not constitute protected speech. It is facilitating and encouraging criminal behavior. Therefore, you must immediately halt any further participation in the organization, funding, or promotion of these illegal activities,” Hawley asserted.
Kiley also raised questions about who is backing the riots and speculated that California Governor Gavin Newsom might have a conflict of interest.
Kiley further informed Fox News that CHIRLA had supported a campaign aimed at abolishing ICE.
Based on IRS data obtained by Fox News, CHIRLA has received $34 million in government grants, including three grants from the administration of former President Joe Biden, each amounting to $750,000.
