Comedian and lifelong Dodgers fan George Lopez 'hurt' after team apparently blocked him over ICE criticism
The 64-year-old has been a vociferous opponent of ICE and has called for his beloved Dodgers to stand up more publicly in support of immigrants in the community.
When tension around the raids were at their highest, however, the World Series champions came in for criticsm when singer Nezza was apparently told not to sing the national anthem in Spanish before a mid-June game against San Francisco Giants.
On July 12, Lopez claimed on social media that the Dodgers - who visited Donald Trump in the White House earlier this year - blocked him over his opposition to the team, something he has now told People he finds 'hurtful'.
Last month, he posted a video on social media of him dancing with the upload captioned: 'POV: You just got blocked by the Dodgers'.
In a passionate post, he wrote alongside his upload: 'The Dodgers blocked me on social media for my criticism of the team, so they'll take a stand on me, but not on the treatment of the families who called Chavez Ravine Home before they decided to build a baseball stadium where they lived and where their families called home.'
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Chavez Ravine was a Los Angeles neighborhood home to a largely low-income Hispanic community that was displaced to make way for Dodger Stadium to be built.
The stadium eventually opened in 1962 as the Brooklyn Dodgers relocated to Los Angeles to make the ballpark their home.
Lopez's July post continued: 'Also no comment from the owners (on ICE).What's happening everyday to the families of the people who are being treated like they don't belong? If anyone doesnt belong it's the Dodgers.
'Maybe since the Dodgers have stayed silient on the issue of the treatment and enforcement of ICE on the Latino Community, maybe at the next fan fest or homestand they can have ICE Agents or these bounty hunters dress up as the visiting team and during the 7th inning stretch they can remove fans, since their loyalty to the team means nothing to them.'
The Dodgers, who have been offered the chance to comment by Daily Mail, have not yet spoken publicly about Lopez's claims.
But the team did donate $1million in support of families of immigrants impacted by ICE raids in June.
Dodgers president and CEO, Stan Kasten, said in a statement: '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.
'We believe that by committing resources and taking action, we will continue to support and uplift the communities of Greater Los Angeles.'
On June 19, the Dodgers said on social media that ICE agents had been denied entry to their ballpark.
Their post read: 'This morning, ICE agents came to Dodger Stadium and requested permission to access the parking lots. They were denied entry to the grounds by the organization. Tonight's game will be played as scheduled.'
Lopez has made no secret of his lifelong Dodgers fandom. In a piece he wrote for ESPN in 2016, he underlined his love for the team and recalled how awestruck he felt when he went to Dodger Stadium for the first time.
'I'll never forget seeing Dodger Stadium for the first time. Little did I know that going to Dodger games would become a tradition for my family,' he wrote.
'I've gone to Dodger Stadium with regularity in the years since... My seats now are a lot better than my 75-cent ticket to the left field pavilion, but nothing is better than looking out from the seats behind home plate and imagining my grandparents both still there.'
Trump welcomed the Dodgers to the White House in April to commemorate their 2024 World Series triumph.
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