San Diego fans stage anti-ICE protest as national anthem plays

Fans of the MLS club San Diego staged a protest against ICE during their first game of the season on Saturday.

In their second season in the MLS, the franchise thrashed CF Montreal 5-0 at the Snapdragon Stadium thanks to goals from Christopher McVey, Amahl Pellegrino, Onni Valkari and Marcus Ingvartsen (2).

Ahead of the game, however, some supporters used the curtain-raiser as an opportunity to make a political statement.

The national anthem was belted out by a female singer pre-match and while plenty observed and cheered the final note as fireworks were set off, sections in the stands elected to turn their backs and face away from the pitch.

Part of San Diego FC’s official supporter group, Frontera San Diego, purposefully faced away from the flag during the United States national anthem in protest of ICE operations. pic.twitter.com/0drZgHpDVG

— SanDiego.Futbol (@SanDiego_Futbol) February 22, 2026

A video filmed from behind the goal was shared online from @SanDiego_Futbol, with the caption: "Part of San Diego FC’s official supporter group, Frontera San Diego, purposefully faced away from the flag during the United States national anthem in protest of ICE operations."

In July, the ultras group unveiled tifos which also made statements about the ongoing situation. One read, "We stay, we stand, we all belong", while another said, "No borders within our hearts".

The city in California is among those on the receiving end of operations from ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) in the US - as part of the major and aggressive crackdown from Donald Trump's administration.

Both Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti were shot and killed by ICE officers in Minneapolis.

Anti-ICE chants have been heard at NBA games as well as AEW wrestling shows, where fans loudly erupted into a chorus of "F*** ICE!" and were not censored on the broadcast.

In San Diego, Cal Matters reported that immigration arrests increased by 1,500% from May to October in 2025.

In the same period there in 2024, there were around 300 arrests made compared to 4500 a year on.

Just recently, nurses at San Diego county hospitals protested against ICE's efforts. Members of National Nurses United took a stand at UC San Diego Health’s Hillcrest and La Jolla medical centers, as well as Palomar Medical Center Poway.

Kendle Hargrove, a registered nurse, said the purpose of the protests was to educate the public and “advocate for our patients against ICE.”

She also stated that "patients are scared to seek care because they're afraid to go outside".