SEIU California president David Huerta released on $50,000 bond after being charged with felony conspiracy for allegedly obstructing federal immigration raid
David Huerta, the powerful California labor leader who became a martyr for the left after his dramatic arrest during immigration protests, walked free from federal custody Monday carrying his shoes and wearing only socks on his feet.
The 58-year-old president of Service Employees International Union Californiawas released on a hefty $50,000 bond after spending three nights behind bars – but now faces up to SIX YEARS in federal prison if convicted of conspiracy to impede an officer.
In extraordinary scenes outside the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building in downtown Los Angeles, the union boss told reporters in Spanish that he “did not intend to get arrested” and vowed to continue his fight through “nonviolence.
“This fight is ours, it’s our community’s, but it belongs to everyone,” Huerta declared defiantly. “We all have to fight for them.”
His release came as President Donald Trump deployed 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles – with 700 Marines on standby at nearby Camp Pendleton – as violent anti-ICE protests spiraled out of control for a fifth consecutive day.
The dramatic arrest that sparked nationwide fury
Huerta’s arrest on Friday ignited a political firestorm after shocking video footage showed federal agents pushing the labor leader to the ground during immigration raids that netted 44 suspected illegal immigrants across Los Angeles.
According to a federal criminal complaint, Huerta deliberately sat down in front of a vehicular gate to block ICE agents from executing search warrants at businesses suspected of hiring illegal immigrants and falsifying employment records.
The complaint alleges he yelled to protesters: “Stop the vehicles!” and “It’s a public sidewalk, they can’t stop us!
When a Homeland Security officer asked him to move, Huerta allegedly replied: “What are you going to do? You can’t arrest all of us.”
Video shows violent takedown
Dramatic footage captured the moment a federal agent forcefully pushed Huerta, causing him to fall backward and strike his head on a concrete curb.
The union claimed Huerta was also tased during the arrest, though this has not been confirmed by authorities.
I have a bad shoulder!” Huerta can be heard crying out as agents pinned him to the ground and handcuffed him.
He was hospitalized for his injuries before being transferred to the Metropolitan Detention Center, where he remained until his Monday release.
Federal prosecutor’s stark warning
U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California didn’t mince words about the arrest, posting on X: “Federal agents were executing a LAwful judicial warrant at an LA work site this morning when David Huerta deliberately obstructed their access by blocking their vehicle.
“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.”
Democrats rally to union boss’s defense
The arrest triggered an avalanche of support from California’s Democratic establishment, with Governor Gavin Newsom calling Huerta “a respected leader, a patriot, and an advocate for working people.
U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff, along with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, fired off a letter to the Department of Homeland Security demanding a review of the arrest.
“This isn’t just an overreach—it’s a nationwide pattern of suppression,” declared Rep. Jimmy Gomez, whose district includes parts of Los Angeles.
Nationwide protests erupt
SEIU organized rallies in at least 19 cities across the country on Monday demanding Huerta’s release, including demonstrations in New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, and Washington D.C.
At a packed rally in Los Angeles’ Gloria Molina Grand Park, civil rights legend Dolores Huerta, 95, addressed hundreds of supporters calling for the labor leader’s immediate release.
We refuse to stay silent while ICE terrorizes working-class communities,” thundered the California Federation of Labor Unions.
City descends into chaos
The arrest sparked five days of increasingly violent protests that have transformed downtown Los Angeles into a war zone:
- 42 people arrested over the weekend for violence and looting
- Multiple Waymo self-driving taxis set on fire
- Protesters blocked the crucial 101 Freeway for 90 minutes
- Looting reported at Adidas, T-Mobile, and other downtown stores
- Law enforcement deployed tear gas, rubber bullets, and flash-bang grenades
- Protesters hurled rocks, concrete, and fireworks at federal agents
Trump sends in the troops
In an unprecedented move, President Trump federalized 2,000 California National Guard troops without Governor Newsom’s consent – the first time a president has done so in decades.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned that Marines at Camp Pendleton were on “high alert” and ready to deploy “if violence continues.
By Monday, approximately 1,700 National Guard members were operating in the greater LA area, with 700 Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines at Twentynine Palms activated and expected to arrive within 24 hours.
Newsom threatens lawsuit
Governor Newsom branded the deployment “unlawful” and “purposefully inflammatory,” announcing California would sue the Trump administration on Monday.
Commandeering a state’s National Guard without consulting the Governor of that state is illegal and immoral,” Newsom wrote on X.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass accused the federal government of using her city as an “experiment” and a “test case” for taking power away from local authorities.
House Speaker backs Trump
House Speaker Mike Johnson defended the deployment, telling ABC’s “This Week”: “I have no concern about that at all. Looking at the violence… we gotta make a reassessment.”
The Louisiana Republican dismissed concerns about the military deployment as heavy-handed, arguing it was necessary to restore order.
Huerta’s defiant message
Speaking after his release, Huerta struck a defiant tone while revealing harrowing stories from his time in custody.
He described meeting a man brought to the U.S. at two weeks old who didn’t know he was undocumented until adulthood and was stabbed after being deported to Mexico.
“He doesn’t see Mexico as his home,” Huerta said. “This is the only home he’s known since he was 2 weeks old.”
The union boss acknowledged he expected the Trump administration to make an example of his case but declared: “I’m prepared to take on that journey. But I won’t face it alone because I know my family and my community is with me.”
What happens next
Huerta must stay at least 100 yards away from federal officers as a condition of his release. His arraignment is scheduled for July 7 in federal court.
If convicted of the felony conspiracy charge, the labor leader faces a maximum sentence of six years in federal prison.
Meanwhile, protests show no signs of abating, with more demonstrations planned for Tuesday as the standoff between protesters and federal authorities enters its sixth day.
As one SEIU official put it: “ICE picked the wrong side. The wrong state. The wrong person. And the wrong union.”
The battle lines have been drawn in Los Angeles – and neither side appears ready to back down.
