ICE raids tested some Latinos' faith in Dodgers

Lifetime Dodgers fan Jorge De La Cruz had his faith in the team tested this summer when the Trump administration began immigration raids across Southern California.

- BY NATHAN SOLIS

ERIC THAYER Los Angeles Times

DODGERS FANS before Game 3 of the World Series between the Dodgers and the Blue Jays at Dodger Stadium. Latinos make up a large part of the fan base.

De La Cruz, among others, said he was disappointed the team was not more forceful in condemning the raids, especially given the fact that Latinos are such a big part of its fan base.

But here he was Tuesday night in front of the Greyhound Bar & Grill in Highland Park, an hour before the fourth game of the World Series began to make sure he got a good seat.

"You're always going to have people cheering for the team and I see why the Dodgers don’t want to say anything because it's all corporations. But at some point, it's their civic duty to speak up about what's going on with people being taken," he said. He is still smarting about the Dodgers' response, adding, "People are still talking about all of that."

De La Cruz's mother arrived in the United States an undocumented immigrant from Mexico decades ago and now has a green card. Despite all of the turmoil, she still cheers for the Dodgers.

"She's going to root for them no matter what," he said.

The immigration raids placed the Dodgers in a precarious position that the organization is still trying to navigate. The Trump administration's actions sparked protests around the city, including outside the gates of the stadium when masked federal officials staged there in a line of vehicles.

The Dodgers said they had nothing to do with that operation and announced the team would pledge $1 million "toward direct financial assistance for families of immigrants impacted by recent events in the region."