Trump is making himself the enemy of workers across America
A top California union official was charged with interfering with law enforcement operations after he was arrested during anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles, according to court documents filed Monday.
David Huerta, the president of the California division of the Service Employees International Union, is set to appear in court for an initial appearance on one felony charge of conspiracy to impede an officer after he was arrested Friday during protests over ICE raids. The protests lasted through the weekend, with President Trump announcing Saturday that he would be deploying the National Guard — over California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s objections.
According to a Homeland Security Investigation officer’s sworn affidavit, Huerta sat down in front of a vehicular gate to a staging ground for ICE operations that were ongoing nearby.
The complaint alleges he yelled to the protestors “stop the vehicles,” and “it’s a public sidewalk, they can’t stop us.”
The officer then says he asked Huerta to move from the gate so that cars could get in and out of the facility, and Huerta replied, “What are you going to do? You can’t arrest all of us.”
After a law enforcement van attempted to get into the site through the gate that was blocked by protestors, Huerta, the officer says, was “being uncooperative” after being asked to move out of the path before the officer attempted to physically move him out of the way. The officer then says Huerta pushed back, and as a result, Huerta was arrested.
Video released by U.S. attorney, Bill Essayli, undermines his own case by showing that it was the masked ICE officer doing all the pushing, resulting in Huerta being thrown to the ground:
[Huerta’s] arrest was a driving force behind Monday’s protest at Chicago’s Daley Plaza, drawing dozens of protesters and Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García.
“We’re not going anywhere. This isn’t about safety. This is about control,” García said during the rally. “Fear is the tactic, silence is the goal. This is not about immigration. This is about domination of all of our communities.”
The crowd called for Huerta’s immediate release, ending speeches with chants of “Free David!”
“He was wrongfully detained,” said Genie Kastrup, president of a Chicago-based SEIU chapter. What happened to Huerta “is about more than a single leader. It is a direct assault on all of us.”
Huerta, a lifelong advocate for immigrant and workers’ rights, was acting as a community observer—upholding the highest principles of the labor movement by standing against injustice, even at personal risk. His arrest is part of a broader, cruel escalation of attacks on working people and immigrants across the United States.
PSI denounces the Trump regime’s mobilization of the National Guard, the deployment of militarized police, and the threat of military force against civilians. These actions represent a grotesque abuse of power, targeting vulnerable communities and undermining democracy.
We demand:
- The immediate and unconditional release of David Huerta and all those detained in these unjust raids.
- An end to the brutal ICE raids, which tear families apart, destabilize communities, and harm all working people.
- The demilitarization of our streets—no National Guard, no militarized police, no threats of military intervention against workers and immigrants.
PSI stands in unwavering solidarity with our affiliate SEIU, the U.S. labor movement, and all working people resisting oppression. We call on our global union family—30 million workers strong—to join us in demanding justice, dignity, and an end to state violence.
The world is watching. We will not be silent.