The Los Angeles Dodgers stood up to ICE. Will other franchises follow suit?
Nearly 30 percent of players in Major League Baseball are immigrants. One might expect more efforts to protect this workforce.
By Carron J. Phillips
With a political party and its leader determined to force America back to the past, it was inevitable that politics would intersect with America’s pastime: baseball.
Last week, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the reigning World Series Champions, took a stand against Immigration and Customs Enforcement. However, whether you believe this might depend on your vote in the 2024 presidential election. According to the Dodgers and various local and national news outlets, the organization told federal immigration agents to leave their property.
“This morning, ICE agents came to Dodger Stadium and requested permission to access the parking lots. They were denied entry to the grounds by the organization,” the team said in a statement posted on social media.
However, if you are part of a certain person’s cult, it apparently didn’t happen, as the ICE publicly declared its agents “were never there.”
“This had nothing to do with the Dodgers. (Customs and Border Protection) vehicles were in the stadium parking lot very briefly, unrelated to any operation or enforcement,” Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, said in an email to the Associated Press.
Despite the debate, the Dodgers are the ideal team for this situation, as they exemplify why it's impossible to keep sports separate from societal issues, especially when politics around President Donald Trump are involved. The team’s top player is from Japan, and their second-best player is a Black man named Mookie Betts. They’re led by a manager who is Black and Asian, and Magic Johnson is a member of their ownership group. Their clubhouse is a rainbow coalition. This diversity reflects not only the racial identities of the team members but also the vibrant mix found in Los Angeles itself.
If this were the NBA or the NFL, it would attract much more attention. However, baseball doesn't generate the same buzz because it's full of players who lack personality, dislike the spotlight, and avoid discussing significant issues. This is why any praise for the Dodgers for standing up to ICE should be minimal, as their stance was reactive rather than proactive.
“Because they haven’t been verbal, whatsoever, on social media or anywhere. It’s just silence,” — Eduardo Rangel.
“I definitely understand the concerns of the frustrations from the Latinos in town. I would probably be afraid to go too. It’s a scary moment.” — Curtis Carpenter.
These quotes come from local and non-local Dodgers fans who spoke with NBC-LA just days before the franchise made its announcement. It raises the question of whether their stance was genuine or if ICE put them in a position where they had to say something.
I mean, this is the Dodgers we’re talking about.
"After seeing how successful you've begun this season, I can tell you that you can plan on being back here," Trump said to the Dodgers during their White House visit in April. "I hope you're going to be back here next year."
A few months after shaking hands and smiling for photos with the president, the organization suddenly has problems with a man who is simply doing what he said he'd do. This is why the team received significant backlash for their visit to Washington in April, and it’s also why their actions from last week deserve to be viewed with skepticism.
“The Dodgers are embarking on the path of least resistance, and that’s not what leaders do,” Dylan Hernandez, a sports columnist for the Los Angeles Times wrote. “Leaders don’t cower in fear of ignorant extremists, no matter how many of them there are. Leaders do what is right and deal with the consequences.”
The Dodgers' visit to the White House occurred nearly a month after the Department of Defense disrespected Jackie Robinson's legacy by removing (then later restoring) a webpage dedicated to his military service. Betts, the only Black player on the team returning from last season, attended the White House meeting with Trump, as reported by ESPN.
“The people who are dedicated to erasing history do so because they actually want to repeat it,” sportswriter Jemele Hill said about the ordeal. “So the Trump administration’s efforts to erase Jackie Robinson is on brand. When they did that, you would think you would have heard a loud and angry response from the Dodgers. Instead, you heard [crickets].”
“Without Jackie Robinson, there is no Mookie Betts, and there is no Shohei Ohtani,” she added. “If you’re not willing to defend the name and legacy of the most important player in baseball’s history against the same white supremacy, then I have to wonder if what Jackie Robinson fought for was even worth it.”
According to Major League Baseball, 28.6 percent of players on Opening Day rosters this season were Latino, and 27.8 percent were born internationally. Yet it took ICE agents on their property for the Dodgers to show any sort of resistance. On the team's website, there is a tab for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). At the bottom, you will find the team’s policy on harassment and discrimination. It reads:
The Organization is committed to providing a workplace that is free from all forms of unlawful and inappropriate behavior, including harassment and/or discrimination. The Organization does not tolerate harassment and/or discrimination by any employee, whether such prohibited behavior is aimed at a coworker, customer, vendor or guest (invited or uninvited) of the Organization. The Organization will attempt to prevent harassment of anyone (including its employees) on its premises by any customer, vendor, or guest (invited or uninvited) of the Organization. Harassment and/or discrimination based on ancestry, race, color, national origin, gender, sex, pregnancy, marital status, medical condition, religion, age, disability, or sexual orientation are specifically in violation of both state and federal law.
I’m not here to tell you if the Dodgers lived up to their creed. But I am here to say that the leaders of the organization need to familiarize themselves with it and think about their actions, and inactions, from the past few months.
Since Americans have been allowed to return to outdoor activities following the covid 19 pandemic, the sports world has shown little concern for social and racial issues. This apathy speaks volumes about the attitudes of players and coaches, leaving fans from minority communities feeling even more marginalized. It serves as a reminder that sports can be enjoyed solely as entertainment only if your race and gender place you in the group that is protected from ongoing harassment. However, even these protections can be undermined when we have a president who chooses war impulsively.
Carron J. Phillips is an award-winning journalist who writes on race, culture, social issues, politics, and sports. He hails from Saginaw, Michigan, and is a graduate of Morehouse College and Syracuse University.