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Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Friday urged U.S. officials to refrain from targeting individuals attending Saturday’s Gold Cup soccer match in Los Angeles between Mexico and the Dominican Republic.
Her comments come amid heightened immigration enforcement in Southern California, where federal authorities have detained more than 100 individuals in recent raids across Los Angeles’ fashion district and at Home Depot parking lots.
“We don’t believe that there will be any raids if there’s a soccer game,” Sheinbaum said at a news conference. “We hope there won’t be any. We call for no action from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.”
The match is set to take place Saturday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood as part of the Gold Cup’s group stage. Mexico’s national team regularly draws large crowds in Southern California—its last match in the region, a Nations League semifinal against Canada in March, brought more than 50,000 fans.
In response to the recent enforcement surge, President Donald Trump deployed National Guard troops and Marines to the Los Angeles area, following days of unrest sparked by the raids. Protests have ranged from peaceful demonstrations to more disruptive actions, including the blockage of a major freeway and the burning of vehicles over the weekend.
Due to security concerns, the Mexican national team relocated from downtown Los Angeles to a hotel in Long Beach earlier in the week. Sheinbaum also emphasized that Mexican consulates across the U.S. are ramping up support for citizens who may be unjustly detained.
“This campaign we are carrying out through the consulates will provide all the information on what to do if detained, as well as ongoing contact with families,” Sheinbaum said.
This article contains reporting by The Associated Press.