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Politico
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Politico
No chill in Boston over LA ICE protests
COAST TO COAST — Some of the shockwaves from unrest in Los Angeles over immigration enforcement are reverberating back in Boston, but the city is keeping relatively quiet for now. Hundreds of labor leaders, activists and local politicians gathered outside Boston City Hall Monday to call for the release of David Huerta, the president of SEIU California, who was arrested Friday at a protest. 'ICE agents are scooping up our members off the streets,' Tom McKeever, who leads SEIU Local 888, told the crowd as people waved signs and led 'free David' chants. 'A tyrannical government is stripping away our constitutional freedoms, our inalienable rights, rights that everybody is born with.' California Gov. Gavin Newsom has gone toe to toe with President Donald Trump over the past 48 hours over social media and in a lawsuit filed Monday after the president deployed the National Guard to quell protests that have roiled Los Angeles in recent days. At one point, Newsom goaded the president to arrest him; Trump said Monday that's an option that's not off the table. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu has taken a similarly combative stance in response to recent ICE operations in Boston and beyond. The first-term Democrat struck a particularly tender nerve when she described ICE agents as 'secret police,' pointing to the video where Tufts student Rumeysa Ozturk was seized by agents wearing masks. Asked Monday about the protests in Los Angeles, Wu held her ground: 'It's important to speak the truth, and I support the calls to make sure that we are calling out when unconstitutional behavior is happening,' Wu told reporters after a budget signing event. 'There are actions taking place that are retaliatory, that are targeting specific communities and cities, and it's important not to get bullied out of saying what we see with our own eyes.' Some local officials have been wary of Wu's war of words with ICE, out of concern the Trump administration could retaliate against the city. But for the most part, Wu has been earning praise from other electeds for her refusal to back down. 'We're already a target,' Boston City Councilor Julia Mejia told Playbook at Monday's rally. 'This is an opportunity to unite our unions, our immigrant community. And so while it sucks, what is happening in LA, I also want to see it as an opportunity to motivate people.' GOOD TUESDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Drop me a line: kgarrity@ TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey speaks at the inaugural Victim Services Conference at 10:20 a.m. in Norwood and participates in a fireside chat at the Boston Globe Tech Summit at 4 p.m. in Boston. Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll speaks at a topping-off ceremony at 11 a.m. in Boston, participates in a fireside chat at 'Make It in Mass 2025' at noon in Cambridge, chairs a meeting of the Local Government Advisory Commission at 1 p.m. and attends the Benjamin Banneker Charter Public School's annual STEAMS Exposition at 1:30 p.m. in Cambridge. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu speaks at the Henderson Upper School at 9:45 a.m. in Dorchester, gives an update on the city's lawsuits against the federal administration at 11 a.m. and speaks at a flag raising ceremony for Caribbean Heritage Month at 12:15 p.m. FROM THE DELEGATION BY THE NUMBERS — Congressional Democrats have been warning that the president's 'Big, Beautiful Bill' will dump thousands from their current healthcare plans. And Sen. Elizabeth Warren's office has some new data on what it will mean for Massachusetts residents. According to data compiled by the Joint Economic Committee's minority staff, an estimated 136,700 people could lose their coverage from the Affordable Care Act, and 168,911 could lose their Medicaid coverage. All told, it would mean 305,611 people losing insurance in Massachusetts, according to the data shared by Warren's office. In a statement, Warren accused Trump and congressional Republicans of attempting to 'rip health care away from millions of Americans and raise costs for families — all to fund giant tax handouts for billionaires.' 'Here in Massachusetts, that means hundreds of thousands of people would lose their care and our community hospitals and health centers could be forced to shut down,' Warren said. 'The 'Big Beautiful Bill' is a lose-lose for Massachusetts families, and I'll keep fighting to stop it.' — Markey says he'd 'fight Trump' over National Guard deployment by Alison Kuznitz, State House News Service: 'Days after President Donald Trump deployed 2,000 National Guard troops in California to respond to immigration enforcement protests, U.S. Sen. Ed Markey said he would oppose any similar tactics in Massachusetts, which has already come under fire for its 'sanctuary' policies.' — Reps. Auchincloss, Moulton, criticize Trump's use of military troops in LA by Rita Chandler, The Boston Globe. DATELINE BEACON HILL — Auditor Diana DiZoglio wants to charge thousands for access to shelter audit records by Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald: 'State Auditor Diana DiZoglio wants to charge $2,000 to fulfill a public records request for documents that detail the behind-the-scenes work of an audit into the state-run shelter system, an inquiry her office's top lawyer characterized as a 'fishing expedition.' A shelter audit released last month accused Gov. Maura Healey's administration of inking 'improper and unlawful' no-bid contracts for food and transportation services for the shelter system. But Healey's top deputies pushed back against the report, arguing it 'missed the urgent need for reform.'' — State spending with LGBT-owned businesses fails to meet Healey's benchmark by Trajan Warren, GBH News: 'Massachusetts fell far short of its new goal for hiring LGBT-owned businesses for state contracts last year, according to a recent report from the state's Supplier Diversity Office. In 2023, Gov. Maura Healey said she was setting a first ever goal for the state to spend $18 million annually on contracts with lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender-owned businesses. According to the report, agencies were asked to spend 0.3% of their discretionary budgets with LGBT businesses in fiscal year 2024, which actually bumped the total goal to $22.8 million. But in fiscal year 2024, state agencies only spent $9 million with these companies.' FROM THE HUB BUDGET SEASON — After a contentious veto process last year, Boston passed its budget this year without much fanfare. The mayor signed the $4.8 billion budget Monday, approving the $9 million in changes the council unanimously passed earlier this month. More from State House News Service. — Former Boston City Hall staffer claims Wu administration fired her to protect top aide by Andrew Ryan, The Boston Globe: 'The woman fired from her job at Boston City Hall last month amid a controversy over a domestic violence arrest claims Mayor Michelle Wu unfairly maligned her and cut her loose in an attempt to contain an election-year scandal. In her first interview since the May 15 incident, Marwa Khudaynazar disputed the Wu administration's contention that she invoked her status as a city official to try and avoid arrest following a domestic dispute with her boyfriend, Chulan Huang, who also worked for the city. Khudaynazar acknowledged she told responding officers she worked for City Hall's police accountability office, but she said they took her comments out of context.' — Boston's Mass and Cass 'remains an open-air drug market' with residents begging for police crackdown by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald: 'Residents impacted by Mass and Cass spillover say the area 'remains an open-air drug market' two years after the mayor rolled out a plan to clean up the troubled intersection and are begging for more police enforcement to quell the lawlessness.' WHAT'S ON CAMPBELL'S DOCKET — AGs sue ATF over 'machine gun' conversions by Christian M. Wade, The Eagle-Tribune: 'Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell is among a group of Democrats challenging the Trump administration's decision to drop federal restrictions on machine gun conversions and return thousands of previously seized devices. A multi-state lawsuit filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Maryland by Campbell and 15 other attorneys generals seeks to stop the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives from 'redistributing' the devices, which allow semi-automatic weapons to be converted into machine guns.' — 21 state attorneys general, multiple universities, alumni to back Harvard in court battle against Trump by Nick Stocio, The Boston Globe. THE RACE FOR CITY HALL — Legal filing indicates Boston mayoral candidate Josh Kraft could be part of Revolution succession plan by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald: 'Boston mayoral candidate Josh Kraft could be part of a succession plan to inherit ownership of the New England Revolution, according to a 2015 legal document that's recently come to light, a development that stands to complicate his potential role in the city's Everett soccer stadium negotiations. The soccer stadium is set to be the new home of the Revolution, which currently shares use of Gillette Stadium with the Patriots. The 2015 federal court filing lists Josh Kraft as second in line at Kraft Soccer Group LLC, behind his father, Robert Kraft. That creates a potential conflict of interest for the mayoral candidate who has said he would recuse himself from any negotiations related to a potential Everett stadium.' DAY IN COURT — Newton Judge Shelley Joseph denies helping defendant evade ICE in 2018 by Shelley Murphy and Dan Glaun, The Boston Globe: 'Lawyers for Judge Shelley Joseph, who is facing a disciplinary hearing for allegedly helping a defendant evade immigration authorities in a Newton courtroom in 2018, argued Monday she has become a figure of misleading 'local lore' amid the polarizing debate over immigration, without a fair opportunity to defend herself.' — Chief Justice Kimberly Budd wants to repair trust in courts by Jennifer Smith, CommonWealth Beacon. THE LOCAL ANGLE — Some Mass., N.H. federal offices spared the DOGE chainsaw, for now by Barbara Moran, WBUR: 'Offices housing the U.S. Geological Survey's New England Water Science Center have gotten a federal reprieve. The offices will stay open, at least for now, instead of closing at the end of the summer as planned. The Trump administration terminated the leases on the offices in New Hampshire and Massachusetts earlier this year as part of cost-cutting measures undertaken by the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, a unit within the White House.' — Frank Santoro seeks to regain his seat on Quincy school board by Peter Blandino, The Patriot Ledger: 'Retired Quincy Public Schools principal Frank Santoro is seeking to regain his seat on the district's school board. Santoro sat on the board for two terms in the late 1980s and again between 2020 and 2023 before losing a reelection bid. Santoro is one of five candidates vying for three seats. His opponents are incumbent Tina Cahill and challengers Kate Campbell, Kai Lee and Tom Leung. Incumbents Douglas Gutro and Emily Lebo announced they will not seek reelection at the end of their terms.' — Local officials express disappointment following dismissal of MBTA lawsuit by Michael McHugh, The Salem News: 'Elected officials in Middleton and Wenham are expressing disappointment over a superior court judge's ruling Friday on the MBTA Communities Law. Judge Mark C. Gildea decided the law does not impose an unfunded mandate on cities and towns, leading to a dismissal of the lawsuits filed by nine different communities.' — Methuen mayor promises to defend LGBTQ+ community at flag raising by Teddy Tauscher, The Eagle-Tribune. — South Coast towns will continue PFAS remediations despite changing federal regulations by Crystal Yormick, The New Bedford Light. — Busing kids to school is expensive. Fall River wants Mass. to help with the cost by Emily Scherny, The Herald News HEARD 'ROUND THE BUBBLAH HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to former state Sen. Adam Hinds, James Rockas and David Ball, president and founder of Ball Consulting Group. Happy belated to Raj Goyle and CommonWealth Beacon's Gintautas Dumcius who celebrated Monday, and to Joey Perry of state Rep. Thomas Moakley's office, who celebrated Saturday.
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Politics
- 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
18 hours ago
- Politics
- 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
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Protestors call for release of detainees outside ICE building in downtown Atlanta
Protestors demanded that one of their own be released from ICE detainment on Monday. SEIU California president David Huerta is in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody in California. Union of Southern Service Workers said ICE agents wrongfully assaulted and detained Huerta. 'We are demanding his freedom today also the freedom of the other immigrant workers who are being unjustly detained,' USSW Protestor Shaekia Calhoun told Channel 2's Audrey Washington. In a Twitter post, U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli defended the detainment and said Huerta deliberately obstructed agents as they attempted to execute a warrant at a L.A. worksite. TRENDING STORIES: 2 women critically injured after shooting on I-20 Delta flight from Atlanta diverted to Jacksonville over smoke in cabin Armed robbers target Gwinnett store with baby inches away, police say 'I find what the government is doing as executive overreach,' protestor David Harris said on Monday. For days now, there have been both anti and pro-immigration demonstrations across the country, some ending with arrests. 'Protestors have the right to peaceful protest. Demonstrations, shouting, holding signs,' Emory Law Professor John Acevedo said Acevedo explained protesters' rights and what could lead to arrests. 'Following instructions. Don't obstruct streets. Don't try to walk into buildings even if other protestors are going in,' Acevedo said. There were no arrests or issues at Monday's protest. The Associated Press reported that Huerta was released from custody on $50,000 bond shortly after 6 p.m.
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Unions Demand Release Of David Huerta, SEIU Leader Arrested In LA ICE Raids
The arrest of a California union leader in the Los Angeles immigration protests has sparked anger across the labor movement, with unions denouncing the Trump administration and calling for the immediate release of David Huerta. Huerta, the president of a Service Employees International Union affiliate, was injured Friday in what his union said was a workplace raid by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. The union said Huerta was peacefully 'exercising his First Amendment right to observe and document law enforcement activity' at the time. He was released from the hospital the same day and detained. U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli alleged on X that Huerta had been 'interfering with federal officers' by blocking their vehicle and said he would be arraigned in court Monday. The U.S. attorney's office in LA said Monday that Huerta had been charged with 'conspiracy to impede an officer,' which can carry up to six years in prison. Huerta is the head of SEIU-United Service Workers West, a powerful California-based union of 50,000 workers, many of them Latino immigrants who work as janitors. He is also the president of SEIU California, an influential group that advocates politically for the union's chapters in the state. As a union of service workers, SEIU is among the most outspoken in defending immigrant rights at a time when President Donald Trump promises to ramp up deportations of undocumented workers. Huerta said in a statement through SEIU California that 'hard-working people' were being 'treated like criminals.' His arrest reinforces the leading role labor groups could end up playing in combating the White House's immigration crackdown during Trump's second term. The AFL-CIO labor federation planned protests Monday at cities across the country calling for Huerta's release. Liz Shuler, president of the AFL-CIO, which includes 63 unions, told HuffPost at a rally in Washington, D.C., that unions needed to stand together and defend workers against deportation. 'I think our mission now is basically to show that these raids on workplaces and attacks on families at the community level… [these] are our neighbors, our co-workers,' she said. 'These are people who are looking for a better life and are contributing to our economy.' Lee Saunders, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, one of the largest unions in the country, told HuffPost that Huerta's release was 'unacceptable.' 'This is about the right to make your feelings heard in a peaceful way,' Saunders said. 'That's exactly what he was doing. Yet he was beaten up and he was taken to the hospital, and he's still in jail.' He added, 'We cannot put up with this. We cannot sit back, and we can't be silent.' The anti-ICE protests sprouted up in Los Angeles on Friday after immigration officials raided an apparel manufacturer downtown. Hundreds of protesters later converged on a federal building in the city and clashed with Department of Homeland Security officers who fired pepper spray. The LA police department said it made more than 50 arrests over the weekend. Trump deployed hundreds of National Guard members to the city, drawing a rebuke from California Gov. Gavin Newsom. The governor said Sunday that the state was filing a lawsuit against the administration on the grounds it had illegally federalized the California National Guard just to escalate tension. It appears to be the first time in 60 years that a president mobilized a state's National Guard without a governor asking. Jaime Contreras, the president of SEIU's Latino Caucus, said in a speech at Monday's rally in D.C. that he found Trump's deployment of the National Guard appalling. 'Being a veteran myself, I find that disgusting, disturbing, insulting and unconstitutional,' Contreras said.
