ICE Raids and L.A. Sports: A Comparative Look at the Dodgers and Angel City FC’s Community Responses
Crisis, Culture, and Credibility
A CASE STUDY IN SPORTS EHICS
The Report
Fan engagement trends indicate there is a growing expectation that values based alignment is important when showing support to any team. Veloxity Global in partnership with Broad Consultants conducted a FIVE month review of contrasting responses to ICE OPERATIONS in Los Angeles during the summer of 2025, examining both the Los Angeles Dodgers and Angel City FC responses and contrasting the two.
THIS REPORT WAS Developed in collaboration with Amy Durrence and Jenna Gerry of Broad Consultants, the research unites Veloxity Global’s expertise in sports innovation with Broad’s leadership in cultural strategy and fan engagement. Broad Consultants is a strategy and advocacy firm advancing Sports for Policy Change leveraging the women’s game to influence the laws and systems that shape everyday life.
CHANGES IN FANDOM
THE VALUE DRIVEN FAN
Across major consumer studies, values alignment correlates with purchase and advocacy. Younger cohorts (Gen Z/Millennials) are especially likely to align with brands, sports teams included, that show visible, authentic commitments to the communities they serve. In practice, this shift reframes fans from passive consumers to active stakeholders whose real-time feedback loops (social platforms, supporter groups, local media) can accelerate or erode brand equity.
Illustrative indicators
A significant share of global consumers say they buy from or advocate for brands based on beliefs and values.
Large majorities of U.S. Gen Z respondents report higher trust and consideration for organizations that align with their personal values, including on topics such as racial justice, gender equity, and immigration.
Stakeholder Viewpoint | Community Perspective
How Fans Interpreted the Dodgers’ Response TO ICE RAIDS IN LOS ANGELES
Vladimir De Jesus Santos is a Salvadoran-American writer, filmmaker, and cultural commentator based in Los Angeles whose work centers on first generation American experience, community identity, and the social dynamics shaping Latino neighborhoods across the city.
KEY TAKE AWAYS FROM THE COMMUNITY
The donation came too late to rebuild trust with Dodger fans.
Limited transparency and accessibility reduced its real impact.
A timely statement and support for legal services would have meaningfully strengthened community trust.
How to Use this Case Study
as an assessment on ethics in Sports
Ethics & Leadership Assessment
Use this case study to evaluate how sports organizations balance neutrality, ethics, and stakeholder responsibility during civic crises. Embedded reader questions can be used to assess ethical decision-making at the executive, league, or board level.
Scenario-Based Discussion Tool
Apply the case as a facilitated discussion exercise with leadership teams, students, or athletes, using the reader questions to explore alternative response strategies, risk tradeoffs, and long-term reputational impact.
Organizational Readiness Review
Leverage the analysis to identify gaps in crisis response planning, community engagement, and values alignment within your own organization, using the Dodgers and Angel City FC examples as comparative benchmarks.
Recommended Audience
Sports team owners and executives
League and front-office leadership teams
Graduate students (MBA, sports management, law, ethics)
Athletic department leadership (college and professional)
Board members and advisory councils.
Submit aN Idea
Have an idea for research on the future of sports? We’d love to hear from you! Submit your research ideas below, and our team will review them. If we have any questions, we'll reach out.