California SEIU president out of hospital, in custody after immigration protest
David Huerta, the president of California’s powerful public sector union, was released from the hospital but remained in federal custody Saturday after suffering injuries when federal officials arrested him during a protest.
Federal agents arrested Huerta on Friday for allegedly interfering with law enforcement activity as he and members of SEIU California, SEIU-United Service Workers West and immigrant advocacy and labor groups protested immigration raids that took place around downtown Los Angeles earlier that day.
SEIU California represents 750,000 workers across California in sectors like social work, nursing, state work and education. The union said Huerta was released from the hospital late Friday afternoon, but remained in federal custody as of Saturday.
Videos circulating on social media showed masked officers shoving Huerta to the ground before handcuffing him, drawing condemnation from politicians ranging from Gov. Gavin Newsom to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.
Huerta was being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles as of Saturday, according to Department of Justice spokesperson Ciaran McEvoy.
Huerta will make his initial appearance 1:30 p.m. Monday at the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building and United States Courthouse but is not expected to enter a plea.
U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, a former state lawmaker who recently joined the Trump administration, said on X that Huerta would be charged with blocking a federal vehicle and interfering with federal officers.
“What happened to me is not about me; this is about something much bigger,” Huerta said in a statement late Friday.
“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.”
SEIU California executive director Tia Orr called for Huerta’s immediate release. She said the union was “proud of President Huerta’s righteous participation” in protesting the raids, during which agents arrested 44 people at places like a Home Depot parking lot and a Garment District clothing store.
“We call for an end to the cruel, destructive, and indiscriminate ICE raids that are tearing apart our communities, disrupting our economy, and hurting all working people,” Orr said in a statement. “Immigrant workers are essential to our society: feeding our nation, caring for our elders, cleaning our workplaces, and building our homes.”
Bass said the raids “sow(ed) terror in our communities.”
Newsom called Huerta “a respected leader, a patriot, and an advocate for working people,” and said “no one should ever be harmed for witnessing government action.”
This story was originally published June 7, 2025 at 11:07 AM with the headline "California SEIU president out of hospital, in custody after immigration protest."
