Dodgers to reportedly accept White House invitation for World Series celebration
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The Los Angeles Dodgers will accept an invitation to the White House to celebrate their 2025 World Series victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.
A White House official said: New York Post The team contacted about the visit and participation plan. A date has not been set yet.
There have been calls across the country for the team to forego traditional White House celebrations amid ongoing tensions with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
CLICK TO GET MORE SPORTS NEWS FOXNEWS.COM
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw, U.S. President Donald Trump and Los Angeles Dodgers Owner and President Mark Walter pose with the jersey presented to Trump as he hosts the 2024 World Series champions in the East Room of the White House on April 7, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
“I don’t have any news for you on that,” Dodgers team president Stan Kasten also said of last weekend’s White House visit. Los Angeles Times.
Meanwhile, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told the press he planned to go to the White House.
“I will continue to do what tradition says and I will not try to make political statements because I am not a politician.”
IMMIGRANT RIGHTS GROUP FILED PETITIONS TO SKIP WHITE HOUSE VISIT AFTER WORLD SERIES WINNING
The Dodgers, who won back-to-back World Series after a thrilling seven-game run with the Blue Jays, attended their ceremonies at the White House for their last championship. The first was with President Joe Biden in 2021, and the team traveled to the nation’s capital for a meeting with President Donald Trump last April.
Despite objections from fans, nearly the entire Dodgers roster was with Roberts at the White House last year. However, the players had the same views as Roberts; It’s a tradition.
“Seeing the White House is an incredible honor, regardless of who is in office,” Clayton Kershaw told the New York Post. “We went in 2021. We went this time. I know there was a lot of talk about whether the Dodgers would go. All that. But at the end of the day, going to the White House, seeing the Oval Office, meeting the President of the United States, those are things you can’t miss, no matter what you believe. I was honored to go there today.”
There were also those, like Dodgers reliever Brusdar Graterol, who declined an invitation to stay in “my brown house.”
Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith reacts after hitting a home run against the Toronto Blue Jays in the 11th inning of Game 7 of the 2025 World Series at Rogers Center. (Nick Turchiaro/Imagn Images)
After the Dodgers defended their title in Toronto, the National Day Labor Organizing Network (NDLON), an immigrant rights group, wrote an online petition If an invitation comes for 2026, I implore the Dodgers not to attend the White House.
“The Los Angeles Dodgers have always been more than a baseball team; they are a part of who we are as a city. The team represents our neighborhoods, our families, and our shared love of diverse communities. But right now, our community, our city, is under siege; we need them to be with us., “On the right side of history,” the petition read.
“Ask the team to respect the unity, integrity, and diversity they represent. They cannot remain silent while our families and neighbors face violence, detention, and deportation. By visiting a president who uses his power to harm the most vulnerable, the team will be turning its back on the people who fill the stadiums, wear the jerseys, and give their hearts to this team. By encouraging the team to do the right thing, we will show the White House that Los Angeles represents compassion, dignity, and solidarity with its immigrant neighbors.”
The Dodgers have had to deal with ICE in the past, announcing in June 2025 that they blocked ICE agents from entering the stadium grounds, but ICE said that was “wrong” because they were “never there.”
Los Angeles Dodgers Clayton Kershaw holds the trophy as he celebrates the Dodgers’ victory in Game 7 of the baseball World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, in Toronto. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
CLICK TO REACH THE FOX NEWS APPLICATION
The team said agents “requested access to the parking lots,” but an ICE spokesperson said in an email to Fox News Digital at the time that “ICE was never at the Dodgers stadium and therefore never attempted to gain access.” US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said in a statement following ICE’s denial that “CBP vehicles were in the stadium parking lot for a very short time” and that this “had nothing to do with the Dodgers.”
The Dodgers are expected to be the favorites to win the World Series once again in the 2026 MLB season, especially behind notable names like All-Star closer Edwin Diaz and All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker.
Follow Fox News Digital Sports streaming on X and subscribe Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
