Sports World Reacts to ICE Protests: ‘Immigrant City Football Club’

Nezza performed “The Star-Spangled Banner” in Spanish before Saturday’s Dodgers game, despite being told not to by the team.

“I just felt like I needed to do it para mi gente,” the singer said on social media. “I’m proud of myself for doing that today, because my parents are immigrants…I just can’t imagine them being ripped away from me.”

The artist is one of several figures using sports to draw attention to the ongoing protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids and the White House’s immigration policies. The initial June 6 raids sparked protests in L.A. that grew over the weekend and next week, and President Donald Trump’s immigration policies became a focal point of Saturday’s nationwide “No Kings” protests.

On Saturday, the NWSL’s Angel City FC passed out shirts to fans at their match reading “Immigrant City Football Club,” reading “Los Angeles is for Everyone” in Spanish and English on the back, which were also worn by players and coaches pregame. The club also put the shirts up for sale, and said that net proceeds would go to an immigration organization.

“We are heartbroken by the fear and uncertainty many in our Los Angeles community are feeling right now,” the team, owned by Disney CEO Bob Iger and Willow Bay, said in a June 7 statement on social media. “At Angel City, we believe in the power of belonging. We know that our city is stronger because of its diversity and the people and families who shape it, love it, and call it home.”

The players’ unions of the NWSL and WNBA issued a joint statement Thursday. “We stand with all people seeking safety, dignity, and opportunity, no matter where they come from or where they hope to go,” the statement read. “Every person deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. We know not every situation is simple. But offering compassion should never be up for debate.”

Dodgers player Kiké Hernández posted on Instagram on Saturday in support of immigrants amidst the ICE raids. The Puerto Rico native is the first Dodger to publicly speak out about the events.

“I may not be Born & Raised, but this city adopted me as one of their own,” Hernández wrote. “I am saddened and infuriated by what’s happening in our country and our city. Los Angeles and Dodger fans have welcomed me, supported me and shown me nothing but kindness and love. This is my second home. And I cannot stand to see our community being violated, profiled, abused and ripped apart. ALL people deserve to be treated with respect, dignity and human rights. #CityOfImmigrants.” He posted the same message in Spanish, adding at the end, “Estoy con ustedes!!” meaning “I am with you all!!”

Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who spoke at the Democratic National Convention last summer, said it’s “disappointing” that Trump called in the National Guard and Marines after California Gov. Gavin Newsom said not to. “So this is obviously just a classic page out of Trump’s playbook: create a crisis in order to look like you’re solving it, using it as a political win, creating further divide,” Kerr told The San Francisco Standard. The coach also said that “protests themselves are as American as apple pie as long as they don’t turn violent.”

The wide-spanning L.A. protests touched down Saturday in Inglewood, where SoFi Stadium hosted the Gold Cup opener between Mexico and the Dominican Republic. Protestors lined the streets outside the Clippers’ nearby Intuit Dome holding signs and waving Mexican flags, which have become a symbol of the protests. Inside the stadium, fans of the Mexican National Team held a sign reading “Abolish ICE.” A sign with the same message appeared at an Austin FC match Saturday, as well as another reading “No ICE in this melting pot.” Anti-ICE demonstrators in Indianapolis also gathered outside Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the Pacers and Thunder.

Fans held up a large “Abolish ICE” banner at an LAFC match earlier this month shortly after the protests began. Fans waved a different banner with the same message in 2018 to protest immigration policies of the first Trump Administration. MLS fans in Nashville also protested during a match in May following ICE raids in the city by holding large banners reading “We are not all here” in English and Spanish over patches of empty seats.

Ahead of Saturday, questions swirled about the Department of Homeland Security’s involvement in the opening matches of the Gold Cup and FIFA Club World Cup. ICE and Customs and Border Protection both said they would attend the Club World Cup. ICE also told a local news outlet in Miami that noncitizens should carry proof of legal status. CBP initially declared their involvement on social media, saying their officers would be “suited and booted and ready to provide security for the first round of games,” but then took down the post. A CBP official told Front Office Sports in a statement that “U.S. Customs and Border Protection is committed to working with our local and federal partners to ensure the FIFA Club World Cup is safe for everyone involved, as we do with every major sporting event, including the Super Bowl.”