Federal charges against labor leader David Huerta dismissed by DOJ

Federal charges against SEIU-United Service Workers West (USWW) president David Huerta have been dropped, the labor union said in a statement. 

Huerta posted a video on social media on Monday confirming the charges were dropped against him. 

Huerta, 59, was arrested on June 6, 2025 while he was protesting outside Ambiance Apparel in downtown L.A. while immigration officers carried out an operation inside. He was detained for three days and was released on June 9, 2025 on a $50,000 bond. 

Huerta said by dropping the charges, the government admits the misdemeanor charge was baseless and only intended to intimidate anyone who dares to speak out, organize or demand justice. 

“There was never a real case, only an attempt to punish and silence me for exercising my constitutional rights,” Huerta said.

He recalled that day when he stood outside the Ambiance warehouse while the ICE raid was taking place to protest the administration’s immigration policies and the brutal tactics of the agents carrying them out. 

“That day, I loudly questioned the agents' actions, and I was singled out for it. They claimed my words and my presence interfered with their operation,” he said. “My actions, however infuriating to the federal agents, were protected by the First Amendment of our Constitution and for that I was tackled, pepper sprayed and detained.”

Huerta said he felt lucky as his detention could have ended tragically as it was with other murders of activists in states like Minneapolis, Houston and Miami.

Huerta said the dismissal of his charge doesn’t undo what happened to him or the emotional and mental damage to his family as well as pain caused to the workers at Ambiance and the community.   

“The administration’s weaponization of the judicial system never deterred me from fighting for what’s right,” he said. “I will keep exercising my constitutional rights and protest every abuse this administration commits, and I will keep working to build a country that treats immigrant families and all workers with the dignity they deserve.”

Abbe David Lowell and Marylyn Bednarski, legal counsels for Huerta, highlighted that the prosecution had no legal basis because Huerta was peacefully protesting outside an ICE operation, exercising rights protected by the First Amendment.  

“This case revealed that the Department of Justice was willing to charge a labor leader with a crime, hold it over him for months, and then walk away from it once the charge couldn't survive scrutiny. That is not how a justice system is supposed to work,” the attorney’s said in a statement.

Reactions from leaders

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement Huerta has been a powerful voice for working families and is one of the city’s most respected labor leaders. 

“I’m glad the case against him is moving toward dismissal. It’s a step toward justice and a reminder that standing up for our communities should never be treated as a crime,” she said. 

Los Angeles County Board Supervisor Hilda Solis said the DOJ’s decision confirms that Huerta should never have been targeted for standing up for workers and defending the rights of immigrants.

She said the case was never about public safety, but intended to silence a labor leader and discourage others from speaking out against injustice.

“[Huerta] was arrested while exercising his constitutional right to protest and advocate for workers who were being inhumanely detained and taken by masked federal agents as part of the Trump administration’s aggressive mass deportation campaign,” Solis said. “These raids have terrorized communities across Los Angeles County, separating families and creating a climate of fear among those simply trying to live and work with dignity.” 

Solis reminded everyone to continue being vigilant and defend the constitutional rights that protect democracy.