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The Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team have donated $1 million to support immigrants and families affected by US deportation raids.
The donation is in partnership with the City of Los Angeles. On Thursday, the Dodgers said they had asked federal immigration agents to leave the stadium grounds after they had gathered in a car park near one of the entrance gates.
The Dodgers have a large Latin American fan base. US authorities denied the allegations.
Mass deportations of illegal immigrants were a central campaign promise of US President Donald Trump ahead of his re-election. In recent weeks, protests against the 79-year-old’s migration policies have taken place in several US cities, including Los Angeles.
“What’s happening in Los Angeles has reverberated among thousands upon thousands of people, and we have heard the calls for us to take a leading role on behalf of those affected,” Stan Kasten, president and chief executive of the Los Angeles Dodgers, said in a statement late on Friday.
“We believe that by committing resources and taking action, we will continue to support and uplift the communities of Greater Los Angeles.”
Karen Bass, mayor of Los Angeles, added in the same statement: “I want to thank the Dodgers for leading with this action to support the immigrant community of Los Angeles. These last weeks have sent shockwaves of fear rippling through every neighborhood and have had a direct impact on our economy.”
Trump’s immigration policies are also affecting sports teams outside of the US.
A training camp for Senegal’s women’s basketball team was cancelled this week due to several US visa refusals, according to the Senegalese Basketball Federation.
The team will now prepare for the Africa Championship at home in Dakar.
Senegal Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko instructed the sports minister to cancel the training camp.