The Dodgers on Thursday will announce their plans to assist the immigrant communities recently impacted in Los Angeles, according to a team spokesperson.
The announcement will mark the Dodgers’ first public comment regarding the recent unrest in the city since federal immigration agents began launching raids throughout the Southland almost two weeks ago.
The Dodgers initially declined to make any public comment when the raids first began. But their silence had become divisive among parts of their fan base, leading to increased calls on social media in recent days for the team to address what was happening around the city.
Read more: Dodgers say Nezza is not banned from stadium for singing national anthem in Spanish
Manager Dave Roberts was asked about the situation last week, saying, “I just hope that we can be a positive distraction for what people are going through in Los Angeles right now.”
Utilityman Kiké Hernández also spoke out on social media on Saturday, writing: “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.”
The Dodgers became embroiled in a related controversy last weekend, when singer and social media personality Nezza sang a Spanish version of the national anthem at Dodger Stadium, in an act of protest against the immigration raids, despite being asked by a team employee to sing in English.
To this point, the only other local professional sports teams to issue public statements in the wake of the raids have been soccer clubs LAFC and Angel City FC, which both acknowledged the “fear and uncertainty” being felt throughout the L.A. community.
The full breadth of the Dodgers’ plans was not immediately clear. But, their silence on the situation will soon be broken.
Read more: Commentary: Angel City takes stand against immigration raids as others stay silent
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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