Labor leader David Huerta to speak after arraignment to denounce Trump's 'retaliation'

Local labor leader David Huerta is expected to be arraigned Tuesday on a misdemeanor count of obstructing a federal officer at a June immigration enforcement raid on a garment industry work site in downtown Los Angeles.

Huerta, president of the Service Employees International Union of California, is charged with a single federal count of obstruction of a federal officer. He was originally charged with a felony, but federal prosecutors in Los Angeles last month downgraded the charge to a misdemeanor.

In a statement Monday, the union said Huerta plans to address supporters following his arraignment, "to denounce the Trump Administration's campaign of retaliation and weaponization of the judicial system. Huerta will deliver remarks to express his determination to fight the baseless charges against him and share his vision of a future rooted in justice, freedom and solidarity."

The 58-year-old was among a group of protesters on June 6 outside an Ambiance garment warehouse building, where federal authorities were conducting an immigration action, arresting multiple people.

Video from the scene showed a man, presumed to be Huerta, being pushed out of the way of a white van being driven onto the warehouse property, then being tackled and taken into custody.

“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,” the SEIU statement continues. “Over five months ago, Huerta was thrown to the ground, tackled, pepper sprayed, and detained by federal agents while exercising his constitutional rights at an ICE raid in Los Angeles. On October 17, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California filed an unjust misdemeanor charge of obstruction against him.”

The SEIU said Huerta has received support from The Leadership Conference, SEIU President April Verrett, California Democratic Party, Fight for a Union, BlueGreen Alliance, PICO California and Massachusetts AFL-CIO.

A criminal complaint filed in Los Angeles federal court accuses Huerta of cursing and taunting federal agents at the scene.

"Sometime later, Huerta and another person sat cross-legged in front of the vehicular gate," according to an affidavit in support of the complaint.

"Huerta waved at those around him and yelled, `Everybody sit down, sit down!' In addition to sitting in front of the gate, Huerta at various times stood up and paced in front of the gate, effectively preventing law enforcement vehicles from entering or exiting the premises through the gate to execute the search warrant."

The affidavit added, "As officers issued instructions to clear the way, Huerta refused to move away from the path of the vehicle and instead stood in front of the vehicle with his hands on his hips."

Huerta's attorney, Marilyn Bednarski, said Monday she is hopeful the misdemeanor charge will eventually be dropped.

"We don't think any charge is warranted," she said, adding that misdemeanors "are very unusual in federal court."

The fact that the initial felony charge against Huerta was dropped to a misdemeanor illustrates that the case is a weak one, Bednarski told City News Service.

"In some of these protest cases, we've seen charges dropped entirely because many of the cases are very weak and shouldn't have been brought in the first place," she said.

A few days after his arrest, Huerta was released from federal custody on June 9 on a $50,000 bond after a court hearing.

Following his release, SEIU International President April Verrett expressed relief that Huerta was reunited with his family.

"We are deeply grateful to the hundreds of elected officials, civil rights leaders, labor partners and allies from across the nation who stood in solidarity and demanded David's release," Verrett said. "But this struggle is about much more than just one man. Thousands of workers remain unjustly detained and separated from their families."

Gov. Gavin Newsom was among the authorities speaking out in June on behalf of Huerta, calling him a "respected leader, a patriot and an advocate for working people."

"No one should ever be harmed with witnessing government action," Newsom said.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli wrote on social media at the time that Huerta actively obstructed a lawful operation.

"Federal agents were executing a lawful judicial warrant at (an) L.A. work site this morning when David Huerta deliberately obstructed their access by blocking their vehicle," he wrote. "He was arrested for interfering with federal officers and will face arraignment in federal court. ... 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."

Essayli posted a video online of Huerta being taken into custody.

At a rally after the arrest, SEIU California members called for Huerta's immediate release.

"We are proud of President Huerta's righteous participation as a community observer, in keeping with his long history of advocating for immigrant workers and with the highest values of our movement: standing up to injustice, regardless of personal risk or the power of those perpetrating it," the union's executive director, Tia Orr, said in a statement.

The SEIU said, “under Huerta's leadership, SEIU California and SEIU-USWW have secured groundbreaking wins for working people across California, including legislation increasing paid sick leave for workers statewide and raising the minimum wage for Los Angeles hotel and airport workers ahead of the 2028 Olympics. Huerta has worked to build an immigrant integration program that includes English classes for union members. Under his leadership, hundreds of SEIU-USWW members have become U.S. citizens.”

Huerta issued a statement through the union when he was detained, saying, "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. 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."

Additional reporting by City News Service.