Fans criticize Dodgers for lack of explicit support in the face of raids

▲ Fans have reported being heckled by Dodger Stadium security personnel for carrying signs against the U.S. government's anti-immigration policy. Photo: AFP

Ap

La Jornada Newspaper, Thursday, June 19, 2025, p. a10

Los Angeles — As fans took off their caps and stood for the U.S. national anthem Saturday night at Dodger Stadium, they were surprised by an unexpected rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner . Latin pop and R&B singer Nezza faced the crowd, closed her eyes, and sang it in Spanish.

Her 90-second performance—and a behind-the-scenes video she shared on social media showing team officials discouraging her from doing so before she left—immediately went viral, becoming a controversial and defining moment for Dodgers fans, many of them frustrated by the team’s lack of explicit support for immigrant communities affected by deportation raids in the United States, including numerous neighborhoods in and around Los Angeles.

Protests against arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have garnered international attention and have largely taken place just a few miles from the stadium.

Nezza says that, despite the team's attempts to dissuade him, he didn't make a final decision to sing in English or Spanish until he walked onto the field and saw the stands filled with Latino families dressed in Dodger blue.

This is my moment to show everyone that I stand with them, that we have a voice, and that what's happening isn't right. I'm very proud of what I did. I don't regret anything , the 30-year-old singer told The Associated Press.

The team has yet to issue an official statement regarding the arrests or the raids. Manager Dave Roberts said he doesn't know enough about the matter to comment, but Dodgers slugger Kike Hernandez did speak out on Instagram over the weekend.

"I am saddened and outraged by what is happening in our country and in our city ," he wrote in a bilingual post. " I cannot stand to see our community being attacked, abused, and destroyed. All people deserve respect, dignity, and human rights ."

The reaction

In her viral TikTok video, Nezza is seen speaking to a crew member off-camera, who tells her, “We’re going to be singing the anthem in English today, so I’m not sure if that wasn’t communicated .” She’s since received an outpouring of support from celebrities including Jason Mraz, Kehlani, Chiquis , Ava DuVernay, The Kid Mero, Becky G, and more.

Don't you dare turn your backs on us now. We, as a city, have embraced you and need your support more than ever. Think about who fills your stadium , Becky G wrote, addressing the Dodgers on her Instagram Story.

The Spanish version Nezza performed, titled El pendón estrellado , is the official translation of the national anthem. It was commissioned in 1945 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to the Peruvian-American composer Clotilde Arias.

Nezza said her manager immediately received a call from an unidentified team employee, informing her that they would no longer be welcome at the stadium after the performance. However, the Dodgers said in a statement to the AP: "There were no consequences or hard feelings on the part of the Dodgers regarding her performance. She was not asked to leave. We would be happy to have her back ."

The link

Dodger Stadium has a long history with Los Angeles' migrant communities.

Many proudly wear the team's blue jerseys as an extension of their love for the city—the team still sells special Los Dodgers jerseys on its official website—and attend cultural celebrations dedicated to Mexican, Salvadoran, Guatemalan, and other communities, even those outside of Latin America. The Dodgers' fan base is predominantly Latino, and the team is one of the few to offer Spanish-language television broadcasts.

The franchise has also been recognized for seeking out diverse talent throughout its history, including Jackie Robinson (the first Black player in the Major Leagues), Fernando Valenzuela (a Mexican icon who transcended baseball), and Chan Ho Park (the first Korean to enter the league).

But the relationship has also had its moments of tension: some Mexican-American and Latino residents remain resentful of the forced eviction of families in the 1950s to build the stadium, in the area popularly known as Chávez Ravine, a neighborhood complex where Mexican families once lived.

Some fans have already called for a boycott of the team on social media, while others say they would be willing to return if the team makes a statement.

We love you . You've been a huge part of our lives. We'd love to know you love us back. Or do you only care about us for our money? asked host Letty Peniche of Power 106's Brown Bag Mornings in an Instagram video.

Los Angeles resident Alora Murray is considering temporarily stopping attending. "This isn't anybody's game ," Murray said. "Los Angeles is built on the Dodgers. If they're not with us, I think stopping or boycotting games would send that message ."

Ambiguous position

Many members of the Latino community have shared videos showing stadium security confronting fans for carrying signs or clothing with political messages.

Longtime supporter Emeli Avalos says she doesn't believe the team is apolitical, noting that they did issue a statement condemning Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.

If it's really about staying out of politics, why do they support that? But when people just blocks from the stadium are being detained and kidnapped, why do they remain silent?

Avalos attended Pride Night on June 13 wearing a T-shirt that read "Abolish ICE" on the front and "FDT" —an acronym for a profanity directed at former President Donald Trump—on the back. In a video that went viral on TikTok, he is seen speaking with stadium security. He thought he would be asked to leave, but instead, he was asked to cover the back of his shirt with a team jersey.

"They told me, 'The front is fine, you just have to cover the back,'" said Avalos, who said he will not return to the stadium.

Another video shows a fan being confronted for carrying a banner with the crossed-out ICE symbol, further fueling criticism of the team.

When asked about these incidents, a Dodgers spokesperson referred to stadium rules, which prohibit signs or banners of any kind . Also prohibited is any clothing that the team deems—in its sole discretion—to be obscene, vulgar, threatening, offensive, or discriminatory toward any person or group.

Nezza, for his part, doesn't think he'll return to the stadium, despite the team's statement. But he hopes his performance inspires others to speak out.

This showed me how strong the Latino community is , he concluded. Now it's our turn to be the voice .

▲ Forward Julián Quiñones celebrates with César Montes (left) after the defender starred for the Mexican team yesterday by scoring a brace. AP Photo

From the Editorial Staff

La Jornada Newspaper, Thursday, June 19, 2025, p. a11

The Mexican national team suffered once again, but ultimately secured their place in the 2025 Gold Cup quarterfinals by beating Suriname 2-0, thanks to a double from César Montes, in the second match of the group stage, held yesterday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, which had a small attendance of Tricolor fans.

With this victory, Mexico earned six points and moved into first place in Group A, which also includes Costa Rica (second, with the same number of points, but a lower goal difference) and the Dominican Republic (third, with no points). Suriname, meanwhile, was practically eliminated from the tournament, finishing in fourth place with no points.

The Mexican team, which once again lacked its main cheering groups in the stands due to recent immigration raids in the United States, dominated possession from the start of the match and attempted to cause damage with shots from Edson Álvarez, Alexis Vega, Israel Reyes, and Raúl Jiménez. However, their lack of decisiveness prevented them from capitalizing on the weakness of the opposing team's defense.

Suriname, for its part, relied on a few counterattacks to generate chances toward Luis Ángel Malagón's goal. Their clearest scoring opportunity came from Denzel Jubitana, who dared to unleash a powerful left-footed shot from outside the box, but the ball was deflected thanks to a good save by the Tricolor goalkeeper.

After several attempts, Javier Vasco Aguirre's team managed to open the scoring until the second half, when in the 57th minute, Montes headed in a corner kick taken by Vega to beat goalkeeper Etienne Vaessen and put the score at 1-0.

The second goal for the tricolor team came just six minutes later, in the 63rd minute, after Montes took advantage of a series of rebounds in the box to counterattack and once again score. Thanks to his brace, the Lokomotiv Moscow defender has now scored three goals in the tournament, having also scored in the opening match against the Dominican Republic.

With the win in the bag, Mexico gained confidence and, in the 74th minute, newly substitute César Chino Huerta thrilled the national fans with another goal, but it was disallowed due to an offside by Ángel Sepúlveda.

In the final stretch, the Mexicans didn't slow down and continued to pressure Suriname; however, they failed to increase their scoring output and were left with a valuable 2-0 victory before the 34,000 fans who attended yesterday's 80,000-seat home of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys.

Meanwhile, the Costa Rican national team, led by Mexican Miguel Piojo Herrera, also secured their place in the quarterfinals yesterday after a comeback victory over the Dominican Republic 2-1.

In the match held at the same venue, the Dominican team had taken the lead just in the 16th minute, with a goal from Joao Urbáez, but the Costa Rican team managed to turn the score around with goals from Manfred Ugalde (44, penalty) and Josimar Alcocer (85).

Mexico's next Gold Cup match will be this Sunday against Costa Rica, the third and final match of the group stage, where the two teams will battle for first place in Group A. The Dominican Republic and Suriname will also face each other that day.

▲ The 32-year-old Mexican referee officiated the match between Curaçao and El Salvador last Tuesday. Photo @kigm14

Erendira Palma Hernández

La Jornada Newspaper, Thursday, June 19, 2025, p. a11

On a field with 22 players, surrounded by the roar of thousands of fans, the match was this time in the hands of a woman. As another feat in her distinguished career, Mexican Katia Itzel García became the first female referee to officiate a Gold Cup match on Tuesday, which ended in a draw between Curaçao and El Salvador.

All these achievements are not a gift, but a natural reward for all the effort and dedication she has put into her career. She is now our greatest role model , Lucila Venegas, former referee for the Expansion League and former coach of García, proudly noted.

The tricolor team stood out in the match between Curaçao and El Salvador with a clean performance, undeterred by the players' complaints and even showing four yellow cards.

The triplet

In this Gold Cup feat, Katia Itzel was joined by fellow tricolors Sandra Ramírez and Karen Díaz, becoming the first all-female refereeing team to officiate a match in the tournament.

In every decision he makes on the court, García projects determination and authority, reflecting years of work characterized only by discipline and determination to enforce the rules of the referee.

Making history at the Gold Cup is no coincidence. The 32-year-old referee broke with a pattern of over 20 years of exclusion of women from Mexican refereeing, becoming the second female referee to officiate a Liga MX match on March 9, 2024, in the match between Pachuca and Querétaro, after Virginia Tovar.

That match was a turning point for both García's career and his national refereeing career. While other referees such as Lucila Venegas and Quetzalli Alvarado had previously refereed matches in the now-defunct Liga de Ascenso (Promotion League) and now Expansión Mx, García's performance in the First Division highlighted the efforts of her teammates.

The young referee's work also earned her the 2024 National Sports Award in the category of best referee, right in the same generation in which soccer player Charlyn Corral received the award for best professional athlete.

The Liga MX Femenil took six years to establish itself, but it's starting to bear fruit for both players and referees. We have players like Jennifer Hermoso (a world champion with Spain) and quality referees like Katia. Furthermore, Maite Chávez, a former assistant who has worked in the human development of referees, has just joined the Mexican Football Federation. "I think both women's football and refereeing are on the right path ," Venegas emphasized.

Now, with García as a leading figure, Mexico is the country with the most female referees at the Gold Cup, even sending a trio of international elite referees. Flag bearer Karen Díaz was one of the women who participated in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, a performance that led her to win the National Sports Award that year, while Sandra Ramírez stands out for her career in Women's World Cups.

In addition to García, CONCACAF has also selected American referee Ekaterina Koroleva for this Gold Cup. She has extensive experience in international women's tournaments, as well as in the Marice Revello tournament, where she officiated in 2022.

Ap and Editorial

La Jornada Newspaper, Thursday, June 19, 2025, p. a12

Amid pressure from the Mexican Football Federation (FMF) and even investigations against executives for defending the right to a sporting merit award, the Expansion League will hold a general assembly today, where it hopes to be heard by the leaders of the national soccer governing body in order to reestablish promotion and relegation this year.

Tensions rose before the meeting due to the worsening differences between the clubs and the FMF. This was especially due to the investigation the organization opened against Alberto Castellanos, president of Leones Negros de la UdeG, and Giovanni Solazzi, vice president of Cancún FC, who have been the most insistent in defending the possibility of promotion to the First Division based on sporting merit.

Solazzi and Castellanos could receive fines of up to 450,000 pesos, according to AP, simply for being among the most vocal in demanding the right to move up a category.

The federation suspended the traditional promotion and relegation format in 2020 to support First Division teams, which had been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, it was stated that the measure would be for only six years, which would expire in 2026.

However, the Expansion League clubs were notified that the format will be reinstated until the 2026/2027 season, and that at least four teams must meet the requirements to obtain certification that accredits the standards to be part of the top flight.

The FMF's refusal to comply with the deadline for restoring promotion and relegation for the 2025/2026 season led to a lawsuit filed by 10 clubs initially before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in May.

Even though Cimarrones, Atlante, Alebrijes and Jaiba Brava withdrew their legal appeal without revealing the reasons, Atlético Morelia, Atlético La Paz, Venados de Yucatán, Mineros de Zacatecas and Cancún FC remained firm in their bid to have the sports award for the best team in the tournament reinstated.

However, the Mexican Football Federation has constantly exerted pressure on the teams and their directors. Just a few days after the lawsuit was confirmed before the CAS, the body chaired by Mikel Arriola cut the monthly subsidy of up to 2 million pesos it had given to the Expansion League teams as compensation for the suspension of promotion and relegation.

We went to the CAS because we're tired of how Mexican soccer is run. It has become a business that only benefits Liga MX teams to the detriment of the entire national soccer network, and where financial gain seems to outweigh passion for the sport , the affected teams responded.

Now, the clubs hope to present their grievances to the FMF at a meeting where other issues are expected to be addressed, such as the tournament schedule and regulations, as well as broadcast rights.

▲ Mexican Marcelo Mayer contributed a home run in the Boston Red Sox's 3-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners, where his compatriots Randy Arozarena and Rowdy Téllez play. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the San Diego Padres 4-3, with Spaniard Sergio Ramos pitching the first pitch of the game. AP Photo

La Jornada Newspaper, Thursday, June 19, 2025, p. a30