A prominent union leader arrested amid the protests against an immigration crackdown will make his first appearance in court Monday, ahead of which his supporters called for his release and an end to the federal raids.
David Huerta, president of the California branch of the Service Employees International Union, faces a felony charge of conspiracy to impede an officer, prosecutors said.
In a criminal complaint, the Department of Homeland Security alleges that Huerta and other protesters attempted to halt the service of a search warrant at 2415 E. 15th St. in downtown Los Angeles by forming picket lines on public sidewalks to prevent officers from entering.
“The protesters, including HUERTA, appeared to be communicating with each other in a concerted effort to disrupt law enforcement operations,” the complaint explains.
He is set to appear at the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building and United States Courthouse at 1:30 p.m. Monday for a bail hearing. He will not enter a plea.
Huerta, 58, is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles, though he did not appear in a search of jail records.
If convicted, he faces a sentence of up to six years in federal prison.
In response to the arrest and the immigration raids, the SEIU called for Huerta’s release and an end to the crackdown in a Monday rally in Washington, D.C. Locally, a similar rally at Grand Park drew more than 1,000 people, as estimated by KTLA’s Gil Leyvas.
“From Massachusetts to California, we call for his immediate release and for an end to ICE raids that are tearing our communities apart. #FreeDavidEndRaids,” the union wrote on social media.
The California branch added on X, formerly Twitter, that Huerta did not act illegally, instead blaming federal law enforcement.
“Let’s be clear: ICE injured and detained the president of SEIU California for peacefully observing,” they said. “ICE picked the wrong side. The wrong state. The wrong person. and the wrong union. David Huerta stood up. And 750,000 SEIU workers are standing with him.”
That sentiment was echoed in the downtown L.A. rally on Monday, as SEIU members and many allies professed his innocence.
“We did not see where David did anything wrong, and it could’ve happened to any of us,” said David Moore, executive director of the union UDW/AFSCME Local 3930. “The unions are here in full support and demanding that ICE leave.”
