The Mexican national soccer team has decided to switch hotels in Los Angeles due to safety concerns stemming from ongoing protests against immigration raids in the city. This decision comes ahead of their Gold Cup match scheduled for Saturday against the Dominican Republic at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.
Fernando Schwartz, a spokesman for the Mexican team, confirmed that CONCACAF, the governing body for soccer in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean, has approved the change. The team had initially reserved a hotel in downtown Los Angeles, but the location of their new accommodation remains undisclosed. CONCACAF has yet to make a formal announcement regarding the change in lodging.
The protests in Los Angeles began on Friday following a series of immigration raids that led to the arrest of over 40 individuals. Demonstrations intensified over the weekend, with protestors blocking a major freeway on Sunday and setting self-driving cars ablaze. Law enforcement responded to these actions with tear gas, rubber bullets, and flash-bang grenades. The situation further escalated on Monday when President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of an additional 2,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to the city.
Amidst the unrest, Javier Aguirre, the coach of the Mexican national team, has expressed reluctance to discuss the situation in Los Angeles, focusing instead on the team's sporting commitments. During a press conference in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where the team is scheduled to play a friendly match against Turkey on Tuesday, Aguirre stated, "I'm not going to talk about Los Angeles... we are talking about sports here. I can't express myself right now. We have a match against Turkey, and I don't have any information. I know what we see on television. We're thousands of miles away."
The decision to relocate the Mexican team highlights the severity of the situation in Los Angeles and the concerns surrounding the safety and security of the athletes. The team's management and CONCACAF are prioritizing the well-being of the players by moving them away from the center of the protests.
