George Lopez Criticizes Dodgers for Silence on ICE Raids, Urges Team to Stand Up for Los Angeles’ Immigrant Communities
George Lopez has never been one to shy away from speaking his mind, especially when it comes to issues affecting the Latino community. The Mexican-American comedian and actor, known for his sharp wit and unfiltered opinions, is again using his platform to bring attention to what he sees as a failure of leadership — this time taking aim at one of the most beloved institutions in Los Angeles: the Dodgers.
In a recent interview, Lopez slammed the Dodgers organization for what he described as their “deafening silence” in the face of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids that have continued to strike fear into immigrant communities across Southern California. According to Lopez, the Dodgers, a team historically tied to the diverse culture of Los Angeles and heavily supported by Latino fans, failed to take a public stand when families in their own city were being torn apart.
“The Dodgers stayed silent,” Lopez said. “While ICE agents were kicking down doors and pulling people out of their homes, the team that represents this city didn’t say a damn word.”
Lopez’s comments have reignited a debate about the role professional sports teams should play in social and political discourse. Should a baseball team — even one as iconic and community-connected as the Dodgers — be expected to speak out on matters of immigration enforcement? For Lopez, the answer is a resounding yes.
“Los Angeles is a city built by immigrants. It’s a sanctuary for people who come here looking for a better life,” he continued. “The Dodgers know that. They profit off that. They sell jerseys in Spanish. They host Viva Los Dodgers nights. They use the culture when it’s convenient. But when our people were under attack, they had nothing to say. That’s unacceptable.”
Lopez, who grew up in San Fernando Valley and has long been an outspoken advocate for Latino rights, didn’t hold back. He acknowledged the team’s charitable work and community outreach programs but made it clear that, in his eyes, those efforts ring hollow without a willingness to stand up during critical moments.
“Doing toy drives and visiting schools is great, but when it really mattered — when immigrant families were living in fear every day — they could have used their voice to say something, and they chose not to.”
The timing of Lopez’s criticism is significant. Over the past several years, ICE raids across California — particularly under previous federal administrations — led to widespread fear among undocumented communities. Families were separated, and children were left traumatized. These events sparked outrage, protests, and calls for support from influential public figures and organizations.
Some sports franchises, particularly in the NBA and WNBA, took strong positions on social justice issues during that time. Players kneeled, wore messages on their jerseys, and teams released statements in support of marginalized communities. The Dodgers, while respected for their integration of Jackie Robinson and for various charity efforts, largely remained silent during the ICE raids and subsequent fallout.
This silence, Lopez argues, is not just disappointing — it’s a betrayal.
“You can’t claim to be a team of the people and stay quiet when those people are suffering,” he said. “You can’t wave the Mexican flag at Dodger Stadium one night and ignore the cries of Mexican families being ripped apart the next.”
Lopez’s comments have sparked a wide range of reactions. Some fans support his call for accountability, saying that sports teams with deep community roots should feel a moral responsibility to speak out on key issues, especially when they affect such a large portion of their fanbase. Others argue that expecting a baseball team to comment on complex political matters is unrealistic and potentially divisive.
“Sports are supposed to bring people together,” one Dodgers fan commented online. “Not everyone agrees on immigration policy. If the team takes sides, it could alienate fans and cause even more division.”
But for Lopez and others who view silence as complicity, that argument doesn’t hold up.
“Jackie Robinson wasn’t afraid to speak up. The Dodgers made history by integrating baseball. That took courage,” Lopez pointed out. “I’m not asking them to solve immigration. I’m asking them to show some humanity.”
Interestingly, the Dodgers have long marketed themselves as a unifying symbol of Los Angeles’ multicultural identity. With a large Latino fanbase — many of whom have roots in countries affected by U.S. immigration policies — the team has hosted numerous community events, including Hispanic Heritage Nights and collaborations with Mexican-American artists and activists.
Yet, critics say, those efforts are performative without real advocacy. They see a gap between how the team markets itself and how it responds to the actual struggles of its most loyal fans.
In 2019, during one of the more high-profile waves of ICE activity, the Dodgers remained notably absent from the public conversation. Local politicians, religious leaders, and advocacy organizations condemned the raids, offering resources and sanctuary for affected families. Meanwhile, the Dodgers’ social media and press releases focused exclusively on baseball-related matters, with no acknowledgement of the turmoil facing their own community.
That omission continues to sting for Lopez and others who believe the team has a platform that could be used for good.
“They don’t have to be political,” he said. “They just have to be human. A simple message of support, a statement saying we stand with our community — that’s all it would have taken. But we got nothing.”
The Dodgers have not issued a response to Lopez’s remarks as of this writing. When asked previously about their stance on political issues, team representatives have generally emphasized a focus on baseball and community outreach, steering clear of direct commentary on federal policies or law enforcement actions.
Still, the debate over what responsibilities teams have beyond the diamond continues to grow. With athletes like LeBron James and Megan Rapinoe setting examples of sports figures who use their influence to push for justice, many fans — especially younger ones — expect more from the franchises they support.
Lopez, for his part, says he’s not trying to cancel the Dodgers. He remains a fan, and his criticisms come from a place of love and frustration rather than disdain.
“I grew up with this team. Fernando Valenzuela was a hero in my neighborhood. The Dodgers are part of our DNA in L.A.,” he said. “But when you love something, you hold it accountable. You push it to be better.”
That sentiment resonates with many Angelenos who feel overlooked, even by the institutions they help uplift. Lopez’s words are a reminder that loyalty to a team or city doesn’t mean blind acceptance — it means challenging them to live up to their own values.
As Los Angeles continues to wrestle with issues of immigration, inequality, and representation, the expectations placed on organizations like the Dodgers will only grow. Whether the team chooses to engage more directly in the future remains to be seen. For now, George Lopez has made his position clear: when it mattered most, the Dodgers stayed silent — and silence, in his eyes, is not neutrality. It’s abandonment.
