David Huerta released from custody
David Huerta, president of Service Employees International Union California, was released from custody after Federal authorities on Monday charged him in a criminal complaint with conspiracy to impede an officer in connection with his alleged actions during an immigration enforcement raid last week.Huerta, 58, has been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles since Friday.
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Yahoo
15 minutes ago
- Yahoo
SEIU president David Huerta out on bond after LA ICE protest arrest
The Brief David Huerta, president of SEIU California, has been charged with conspiring to impede an officer during an immigration demonstration in Los Angeles. Huerta walked out of the Roybal Federal Building after his initial appearance to cheers from supporters. The SEIU is holding rallies to support Huerta, and Democratic senators have demanded answers regarding his arrest. LOS ANGELES - Prominent California union leader David Huerta has been charged with conspiring to impede a federal officer during a demonstration against President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown. What we know Huerta, 58, president of Service Employees International Union California (SEIU), has been charged with conspiring to impede an officer during an anti-ICE protest in Los Angeles on Friday, June 6. On Monday, Huerta was released from custody on $50,000 bond. "I just want to tell my members ... that I hope, I don't know if the right word is forgiveness," he said after being released. "It was not my intention to get arrested. I hope that I did not put them in harm's way." SUGGESTED: Trump calls for Newsom's arrest, calls him 'grossly incompetent' Huerta was arrested on Friday when law enforcement officers were executing a federal search warrant at a Los Angeles business under investigation for allegedly hiring illegal immigrants and falsifying employment papers. According to a court filing by a special agent for Homeland Security Investigations, a crowd including Huerta gathered outside the business, yelling at officers. Huerta reportedly sat down in front of a vehicular gate and encouraged others to walk in circles to try to prevent law enforcement from entering or exiting. The agent stated it was clear "he and the others had planned in advance of arrival to disrupt the operation." A law enforcement officer approached Huerta, told him to leave, and then put hands on him to move him. Huerta allegedly pushed back, and the officer pushed Huerta to the ground before arresting him, the filing states. "What happened to me is not about me; this is about something much bigger. This is about how we as a community stand together and resist the injustice that's happening," Huerta said in a statement after his release from the hospital. "Hard-working people, and members of our family and our community, are being treated like criminals. We all collectively have to object to this madness because this is not justice. This is injustice. And we all have to stand on the right side of justice." What they're saying U.S. Attorney in Los Angeles, Bill Essayli, posted on X, "Let me be clear: I don't care who you are—if you impede federal agents, you will be arrested and prosecuted. No one has the right to assault, obstruct, or interfere with federal authorities carrying out their duties." Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and California's two Democratic senators wrote a letter to federal officials demanding answers regarding Huerta's arrest. They stated, "It is deeply troubling that a U.S. citizen, union leader, and upstanding member of the Los Angeles community continues to be detained by the federal government for exercising his rights to observe immigration enforcement." SUGGESTED: LAUSD Superintendent addresses ICE activity in Los Angeles: 'Schools are safe places' April Verrett, SEIU's international president, issued a statement saying the union condemns the immigration raids and will continue to protect workers' rights. "We demand David Huerta's immediate release and an end to these abusive workplace raids," she said. "As a union, we will always stand with our immigrant brothers, sisters, and siblings. We will not be intimidated into silence. We will keep showing up. We will keep fighting back," SEIU 721 said in a statement. Local perspective The SEIU held a rally in downtown Los Angeles on Monday to show support for Huerta and stand up for his right to observe and document law enforcement activity. SUGGESTED: Rapper The Game shares support for Latino community amid anti-ICE protests: 'I stand with y'all' Demonstrations were also planned in at least a dozen cities from Boston to Denver. The backstory The recent anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles erupted following widespread anger over the agency's enforcement tactics. Community leaders reported incidents of ICE appearing at elementary school graduations, disrupting the legitimate immigration processes at various court houses, and aggressively raiding workplaces and locations like Home Depot. SUGGESTED: Newsom fires back at Trump over deployment of National Guard in LA These actions, perceived as arbitrary and invasive, sparked outrage among residents and galvanized the public into widespread demonstrations across Los Angeles County. What's next If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 6 years in federal prison. The Source Information for this story is from SEIU 721 and the Associated Press.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Mass. labor groups rally against ICE arrest of California union leader
BOSTON — Unrest in California spurred by federal immigration enforcement raids has reached the East Coast, where hundreds of protesters gathered Monday in solidarity with their counterparts on the other side of the country. At a peaceful rally in front of Boston City Hall, members of SEIU and other unions condemned the Friday arrest of David Huerta, president of SEIU California, in Los Angeles. Huerta had been attending a protest against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids at a number of work sites in the area, which led to more than 100 arrests. 'Arresting a lawful resident without any due process should chill every American to the bone. It's a dangerous precedent,' said Massachusetts AFL-CIO President Chrissy Lynch. 'If David Huerta can be arrested for exercising his rights, who's next? Which one of us is next? Where does it end?' Huerta was one of at least 44 protesters to be arrested in California Friday. The following day, violent confrontations broke out between federal authorities and protesters, with law enforcement using tear gas and rubber bullets and protesters setting cars on fire. President Donald Trump deployed the National Guard, despite California Gov. Gavin Newsom's objections. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth also threatened to mobilize active duty Marines, a threat he followed through with Monday afternoon, sending 700 Marines to Los Angeles, according to ABC News. 'Trump's threats to deploy the military against civilians on U.S. soil is illegal, unnecessary, unjust,' said ACLU of Massachusetts Executive Director Carol Rose at the rally, which took place before the news that the Marines were being sent to Los Angeles broke. 'No matter how much firepower the federal government threatens to wield, it will never be a match for people power,' Rose added. 'Democracy is not just a piece of paper. Democracy is workers and ordinary people showing up to protect one another and defend our collective rights, including the right to protest and dissent.' Barbara Roy of Marblehead attended the rally in Boston with her friend and neighbor, Mary Chalifour. Roy said she went to her first protest three months ago because of how upset she was by the actions of the Trump administration. Roy carried a sign bearing a quote from Martin Luther King Jr.: 'Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.' She said 'justice' was what brought her to Monday's rally. 'Justice isn't being served,' she said. Boston has had its own confrontations with the Trump administration over its immigration policies. Mayor Michelle Wu was called to testify before Congress in March about the city's status as a so-called 'sanctuary city,' meaning local law enforcement does not cooperate with ICE on civil cases. More recently, Wu drew criticism from U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Leah Foley, who released a video on social media last week saying the mayor was pushing 'false narratives' about federal immigration enforcement. Boston City Councilor Julia Mejia, who attended Monday's rally, acknowledged the city had already been targeted by the federal government but said the hundreds of protesters who showed up to City Hall showed the city's position. 'We're standing firm. We're ready for it,' Mejia said. 'We're signaling to the Trump administration, 'Don't mess with Boston.'' Huerta was arraigned in court in California at the same time as the rally Monday afternoon. He has been charged with conspiring to impede an officer, according to the Associated Press. 'It won't end well for Trump' if he does this amid LA protests, ex-GOP rep says Markey: Trump using National Guard in LA to distract from big cuts in 'Big Beautiful Bill' ICE deportation blocked by Boston judge: Migrants now in shipping container in Djibouti AG Andrea Joy Campbell: Know your rights when it comes to ICE (Viewpoint) Milford High student released from ICE detention: 'Nobody should be in here' Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Labor chief charged after arrest at ICE raid
California union leader David Huerta has been charged in federal court with conspiracy to impede an officer after he was arrested on Friday while protesting federal immigration enforcement efforts. Huerta, the president of the California branch of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), is detained and slated to appear for a bond hearing Monday afternoon. A Homeland Security agent alleged in a court affidavit dated Sunday that officers were trying to execute a search warrant at a Los Angeles establishment suspected of hiring people who had entered the U.S. without authorization when Huerta took several steps to 'disrupt the operation.' Huerta sat and paced in front of a gate, the federal agent wrote in the affidavit, and refused to move aside. At one point, Huerta 'refused to move away from the path' when a law enforcement van approached with its sirens blazing and tried to enter through the gate, according to the Homeland Security agent. Huerta, according to the federal agent, 'instead stood in front of the vehicle with his hands on his hips.' The agent said he then saw a law enforcement officer approach an 'uncooperative' Huerta and 'put his hands' on Huerta 'in an attempt to move him out of the path of the vehicle.' Huerta pushed the officer back, according to the agent, and 'in response,' the officer pushed Huerta to the ground, handcuffed him and arrested him. The incident has provoked outrage from Democrats. California Democratic Sens. Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla joined Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Monday in a letter to several Trump administration officials 'demanding answers' about Huerta, who they say 'was injured, arrested and detained by federal officials while exercising his lawful right to observe the conduct of immigration enforcement personnel.' 'It is deeply troubling that a U.S. citizen, union leader, and upstanding member of the Los Angeles community continues to be detained by the federal government for exercising his rights to observe immigration enforcement,' the lawmakers wrote in a letter. 'As U.S. Senators, we are privileged and proud to represent Americans like Mr. Huerta, who are pillars of their community and stand up for the fundamental rights of all residents of our great state,' they wrote, noting they have a 'constitutional duty to conduct oversight' of federal agencies and are requiring a response to a list of questions about the incident. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) also on Sunday attempted to speak to Huerta at the federal detention facility where he was being held, but she was blocked from entering, CNN reported. SEIU members, meanwhile, rallied in several cities Monday in Huerta's defense. The California branch of the union on Friday said that Huerta was arrested and injured 'while exercising his First Amendment right to observe and document law enforcement activity.' 'We are proud of President Huerta's righteous participation as a community observer, in keeping with his long history of advocating for immigrant workers and with the highest values of our movement: standing up to injustice, regardless of personal risk or the power of those perpetrating it,' the group's Executive Director Tia Orr said in a statement. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
