Sawt Falasteen - US immigration agents barred from LA baseball stadium: team

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrived at the stadium and "requested permission to access the parking lots," the Dodgers said in a statement.

"They were denied entry to the grounds by the organization," the Dodgers said in a statement, adding that the team's game later Thursday would go ahead as scheduled.

Images and video shared on social media showed a line of unmarked trucks and masked ICE agents at one Dodger Stadium entrance while protesters chanting "ICE out of LA" gathered nearby.

The incident comes against a backdrop of heightened tensions in Los Angeles, which has become ground zero of President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown across the US.

The city has seen scattered violence but mostly peaceful protests in recent weeks ignited by an escalation in federal immigration sweeps that have targeted migrant workers in garment factories, car washes and other workplaces.

In addition to mobilization of ICE agents, Trump ordered the deployment of thousands of US National Guard troops and hundreds of US Marines into the city in response to the protests -- a move that was opposed by city leaders and California Governor Gavin Newsom.

The incident at Dodger Stadium on Thursday comes as the reigning World Series champions have faced criticism for their response to the immigration crackdown.

A huge part of the team's fan base is drawn from the Latino community, with some fans claiming a sense of betrayal over the franchise's failure to speak out against the ongoing raids.

O.Farraj--SF-PST