The Los Angeles-based women’s professional soccer team co-owned by Disney chief Bob Iger and his wife Willow Bay says it’s rooting for immigrants and has taken to calling itself “Immigrant City Football Club,” according to media reports Friday.
Angel City FC, the National Women’s Soccer League Team for which the Igers paid around $100 million for a controlling interest last year, posted a message on its Instagram account over the Juneteenth holiday, saying the team was “heartbroken by the fear and uncertainty many in our Los Angeles community are feeling right now,” a reference to a dramatic increase in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in Los Angeles.
The team’s post went on to say that at Angel City, “we believe in the power of belonging. We know that our city is stronger because of its diversity and the people and families who shape it, love it, and call it home.”
Angel City said in a story on its website titled “This is Immigrant City,” accompanied by a photo of team members standing in a row wearing bilingual Immigrant City Football Club shirts, that proceeds from sales of the shirt would go to Placentia-based law firm Camino Immigration Services, which provides a variety of legal services for immigrants.
“Los Angeles is and always will be an immigrant city,” Yaoziuatl Martinez, ACFC’s senior social media co-ordinator, said on the website. “`Immigrant City FC’ points to the makeup of not just the city itself and how we represent it, but who our team is. Our team is made up of immigrants. Our staff is made up of immigrants. It’s just very plainly reflecting what and who we are as an organization.”
At its home match at BMO Stadium last Saturday against NC Courage, the team passed out the Immigrant City t-shirts that also said, “Los Angeles is for everyone” and “Angeles es para todos” on the back. The team and coaching staff also wore the shirts.
“It feels so uncertain right now, but to look around the stadium and see these shirts everywhere, it’s like we’re saying, `This is our home, we know who we are, and we know what we believe in,”’ ACFC defender and captain Ali Riley said.
In addition to the Immigrant City t-shirts worn by both the team Saturday during their walkout and many fans in the stands, Angel City founding investor and L.A.-native Becky G read a statement from the club. It said, in part, “The fabric of this city is made of immigrants. Football does not exist without immigrants. This club does not exist without immigrants.”
Iger and Bay could not immediately be reached for comment.
Other local sports teams have become involved in the immigration debate.
According to a Dodger statement posted Thursday on X, “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.”
But apparently the team mistook the affiliation of the federal authorities who showed up in what was reported to be three unmarked vehicles, possibly in an effort to use the ballpark’s parking lot as a staging area.
Later, ICE posted a reply on X to the Dodger post, saying, “False. We were never there.”
And subsequently, the U.S. Homeland Security department posted on X that its agents, not ICE agents, were at the ballpark.
“This had nothing to do with the Dodgers,” the Homeland Security post said. “CBP (Customs and Border Patrol) vehicles were in the stadium parking lot very briefly, unrelated to any operation or enforcement.”
The Dodgers’ had planned an announcement the same day about how the organization will assist Los Angeles’ immigrant communities, but it was delayed due the situation with federal officers at the Dodger Stadium parking lot. On Friday afternoon, the team announced it would contribute $1 million to support immigrant families in Los Angeles affected by recent federal actions. In the days ahead, the team said it would announce partnerships with local community and labor groups to help provide food, essentials and mental health support for youth and families.