Union leader David Huerta pleaded not guilty Tuesday to a misdemeanor charge of obstruction of justice related to a confrontation with immigration officials during a raid this summer.
Huerta, the 58-year-old president of the Service Employees International Union California — a group that represents healthcare, property service and public sector employees — was detained by federal agents and hospitalized June 6 while documenting one of the first in a string of immigration raids that roiled the region over the summer. He was released on his personal recognizance and was told to remain at least 100 feet away from federal officers.
After his arraignment, Huerta spoke to reporters, union members and supporters, blasting the charges filed against him.
“These charges are baseless, they are attempting to silence anyone who dares to speak out, organize or demand justice,” Huerta said. “I will continue to stand with you until every worker and every family is safe from raids, separation and fear and our constitutional rights are protected.”
Chants of “¡Si se puede!” erupted from the small crowd.
In a video of the incident obtained by TV station KPIX, Huerta can be seen at a warehouse in downtown Los Angeles verbally confronting federal agents with his hands at his hips before being shoved to the ground and promptly taken into custody, hoisted by the back collar of his shirt.
According to the original federal criminal complaint, Huerta was allegedly witnessed “taunting” and “yelling” at federal enforcement officers as they attempted to execute criminal search warrants of four businesses in the downtown area accused of “unlawfully employing illegal aliens.” The complaint alleged that Huerta also attempted to block federal enforcement vehicles from exiting or entering a clothing wholesale business parking and compelled other protesters to sit in front of the vehicle exit.
After his arrest, prosecutors said they originally planned to charge Huerta with a federal felony offense of conspiracy to impede an officer, which can carry a maximum six-year sentence. He was released soon after on a $50,000 bond.
Huerta’s attorney, Marilyn Bednarski, said after the press conference that the charges were downgraded from a felony to a misdemeanor, she believes, due to a lack of solid evidence.
The detainment spawned an intense reaction from immigrant and labor activists, becoming a flash point early in the protests around California. The National Guard was deployed to Los Angeles days later, leading to additional unrest across the city.
“This administration has turned the military against our own people, terrorizing entire communities, and even detaining U.S. citizens who are exercising their constitutional rights to speak out,” SEIU Workers West, a subdivision of the union, said in a press release. “
Top Democratic leaders also criticized federal officers for their treatment of Huerta during and after the arrest, including California Sens. Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Gov. Gavin Newsom.
“David Huerta is a respected leader, a patriot and an advocate for working people,” Newsom said in a statement at the time. “No one should ever be harmed for witnessing government action.”
The U.S. Attorney Office for the Central District of California announced last month that 10 additional individuals had been federally charged and arrested on complaints of violence against officers and property during immigration protests. The office is also seeking federal charges against one individual in state custody and another who has yet to be arrested.
“Acts of violence against the brave law enforcement officers who protect us are an attack on civilized society itself,” U.S. Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi said in a press release. “As today’s arrests and charges illustrate, anyone who engages in such disgusting conduct will face severe consequences from this Department of Justice.”
Huerta’s trial is scheduled to begin Jan. 20, 2026.
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