Authorities released labor leader David Huerta on bond this week, days after his arrest for allegedly obstructing federal officers while protesting an immigration raid in Los Angeles.
Huerta, the 58-year-old California president of the Service Employees International Union, one of the nation’s largest labor unions, said he remains focused on immigrants detained in LA.
An advocate for workers and immigrants in Southern California for decades, Huerta has become a flashpoint in an ongoing standoff between federal immigration enforcement officers and protesters.
Since protests broke out in LA on Friday in response to immigration raids, the Trump administration has deployed 4,000 National Guardsmen and 700 Marines to the area. Some demonstrators have damaged property but the protests have been largely peaceful.
Here’s what to know about David Huerta:
What do we know about David Huerta’s arrest?
Huerta was arrested while demonstrating against an immigration raid at a workplace in downtown LA. He was charged with conspiracy to impede an officer, a felony that carries a prison sentence of up to six years.
Federal law describes the offense as the use of “force, intimidation, or threat” by two or more people to prevent federal officers from carrying out their duties, according to 18 U.S. Code Section 372.
Huerta arrived at a metal gate near the workplace in the late morning on Friday, according to a criminal complaint, which alleged Huerta shouted expletives and banged on the gate in an effort to intimidate federal agents.
As a white law enforcement van approached the gate, Huerta stood in the path of the vehicle with his hands on his hips, the criminal complaint said.
When officers asked protesters to clear the way, Huerta refused, the complaint added, saying an officer “put his hands on Huerta” in an attempt to move him out of the way of the vehicle. According to the complaint, Huerta then pushed the officer and the officer tackled him, ultimately putting Huerta in handcuffs.
In a post on X on Friday, U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli described the arrest of Huerta, saying: “I don’t care who you are—if you impede federal agents, you will be arrested and prosecuted.”
Some union leaders and Democratic U.S. House members criticized the arrest as an effort to intimidate protesters and criminalize peaceful demonstrations.
Democratic Rep. Judy Chu, whose district includes part of Los Angeles, said in a statement that federal authorities had sought to “silence those who dare to speak out against the Trump Administration’s cruel and unlawful immigration agenda.”
“It is clear that SEIU President David Huerta was exercising his right to observe law enforcement activity and stand with community in peaceful protest to these raids,” Chu added.
David Huerta, president of SEIU California and SEIU USWW speaks as California Gov. Gavin Newsom signs the fast food bill AB1228 in Los Angeles, Sept. 28, 2023.
Ringo Chiu via AP
After his arrest, Huerta was taken to a hospital, where he was treated for a head injury. He then entered federal custody. Authorities released Huerta on Monday on $50,000 bond.
Huerta did not enter a plea, and his arraignment is scheduled for July 7, Courthouse News Service reported.
“It was not my intention to get arrested,” Huerta told reporters outside the courthouse after his release, appearing to hold back tears.
Huerta said his focus remains on immigrants detained by federal officers. “While we’re here and there are protests outside, that means, in there, they are on lockdown,” Huerta said.
Who is David Huerta?
Huerta is a longtime organizer and labor leader at the Service Employees International Union, which boasts 2.2 million members nationwide.
He began his career as a California-based organizer with Janitors for Justice, a nationwide labor campaign that sought to raise wages and improve working conditions for cleaners at commercial buildings. The workforce – made up largely of immigrants – won concessions from employers in a number of major cities, including Los Angeles.
Over a decades-long tenure at SEIU, Huerta oversaw organizing campaigns involving thousands of janitors and other service workers. He also led efforts to bring immigrant workers into the organization’s activities, including English classes for union members.
President Barack Obama awarded Huerta as a National Champion of Change in 2014.
In 2022, Huerta was elected president of the California SEIU, which counts 750,000 union members.
The union helped spearhead an effort to win a $20 an hour minimum wage for some 500,000 fast food workers throughout California, many of whom are immigrants. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, signed into law in November 2023 a measure enshrining the elevated minimum wage for fast food workers. The law took effect last April.
