Dodgers vs. Trump? MLB franchise pledges aid to immigrant families after ICE raids

After their Hispanic fans and multiple pro-immigrant organizations protested in recent days around Dodger Stadium, the Los Angeles Dodgers announced a $1 million fund aimed at helping immigrant families affected by the tightening of immigration policies.

The team, however, did not publicly condemn the ICE raids, a request made by activists and thousands of supporters who actively lobbied the franchise to take a stand against the Trump administration.

In fact, in its statement, the franchise did not detail much of why it began supporting immigrant families.

"In partnership with the City of Los Angeles, the Dodgers have committed $1 million toward direct financial assistance for families of immigrants impacted by recent events in the region. Additional community efforts to be announced in the coming days," the Dodgers said on X.

However, the release generated an immediate reaction from Los Angeles' Democratic mayor, Karen Bass.

"Thank you to @Dodgers for stepping up for LA’s immigrant community. These raids have spread fear and hurt our economy—but we won’t turn our backs on each other. That’s what makes LA the greatest city in the world," Bass wrote.

Stan Kasten, the Dodgers' president and CEO, also addressed the plight of Hispanic families but did not directly mention ICE.

"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," Kasten said. "We believe that by committing resources and taking action, we will continue to support and uplift the communities of Greater Los Angeles."

Raids spearheaded by immigration authorities, reported on an almost daily basis over the past two weeks in Hispanic-majority neighborhoods in Los Angeles, have sparked multiple protests in California. One unfolded Thursday night at the approaches to Dodger Stadium after some Department of Homeland Security vehicles were parked in the venue's brief parking lot.

Although the Dodgers claimed that it refused to give up its facilities for operational purposes, federal authorities denied this version, which generated even more confusion among the public.

That same Friday, before announcing the fund for immigrant families, more than 50 community leaders sent a letter to franchise co-president Mark Walter demanding a much stronger stance against raids and public commitments that no team property would be used for ICE or immigration enforcement operational purposes.

"This is the moment for the Dodgers to stand with the families whom masked agents are tearing apart," the leaders said in the missive. "Children who may have sat in your seats enjoying a game now come home with no parents to receive them and no word of their whereabouts or well being other than reports of inhumane treatment in detention centers across California and the Southwest."