The Los Angeles Dodgers claimed on Thursday that the team had denied U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents entry to the grounds of the ballpark.
The Major League Baseball (MLB) organization claimed on X that agents had “requested permission to access the parking lots.”
However, ICE responded to those claims and said, “ICE was never at Dodgers stadium, and thus never tried to gain access.”
ICE also responded to the Dodgers on X, writing, “False. We were never there.”
Law enforcement was sighted outside Dodger Stadium early Thursday, first thought to be ICE, prompting demonstrators. However, in a statement issued following ICE’s rejection, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) stated that “CBP vehicles were in the stadium parking lot very briefly,” and that it “had nothing to do with the Dodgers.”
The vehicles on stadium grounds were “unrelated to any operation or enforcement,” a CBP spokesperson said in a statement.
An investigation is currently underway to identify the sponsors of anti-immigration ICE riots in Los Angeles and other major U.S. cities, following a prominent corporation’s statement that it has received requests for assistance.
Crowds on Demand, a California-based firm that specializes in delivering on-demand protest crowds, told Fox News Digital that it had “numerous high-budget requests” to join in the anti-ICE riots in Los Angeles and other locations but rejected them.
A company spokesperson said it declined to get involved in what is happening in Los Angeles because it did “not want to get close to any form of illegal activity, including violence, vandalism, or blocking off roads without a permit.”
“We receive inquiries regarding practically every major social cause imaginable, and the anti-ICE demonstrations are no exception,” the company said. “The fact that we receive requests does not mean we take them, in many cases, because the budget does not match the ambition.”
The company added it only takes on “impactful commonsense causes both for liberals and conservatives but always represent(s) the commonsense position.”
“Even organizing peaceful demonstrators around this issue (anti-ICE) could put those demonstrators at risk due to the presence of violent agitators and the difficulty for law enforcement in distinguishing between peaceful and violent activists,” the company said.
Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley, the chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism, shared that the committee is sending letters to multiple organizations believed to be behind the funding.
One of the groups questioned by Hawley and Republican California Rep. Kevin Kiley is the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, or CHIRLA, an advocacy group said to be at the heart of the anti-ICE rallies in Los Angeles.
“Who is funding the LA riots? This violence isn’t spontaneous. As chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime & Terrorism, I’m launching an investigation to find out,” Hawley posted in a statement on X.
Hawley’s letter noted that “credible reporting” has indicated the organization has provided “logistical support and financial resources to individuals engaged in these disruptive actions,” referring to the Los Angeles riots.
“Let me be clear: bankrolling civil unrest is not protected speech. It is aiding and abetting criminal conduct. Accordingly, you must immediately cease and desist any further involvement in the organization, funding or promotion of these unlawful activities,” Hawley wrote.
Kiley also questioned who was supporting the riots and speculated that California Gov. Gavin Newsom may have a conflict of interest.
Kiley also told Fox News that CHIRLA had backed a campaign to eliminate ICE.
According to IRS data acquired by Fox News, CHIRLA has received $34 million in government grants, including three from the administration of former President Joe Biden for $750,000 each.
According to documents, the Million Voter Project, which got a share of these donations while opposing Newsom’s recall, has also backed anti-ICE marches.
It is unclear whether either group financed any protests, and there is no indication that they condoned riots.