BAY AREA LABOR AND ELECTED LEADERS denounced the arrest and detention of Service Employees International Union President David Huerta during protests against federal immigration raids in Los Angeles.
Huerta remained detained at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility at the federal building in Los Angeles as of Sunday afternoon, according to U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, a Democratic Los Angeles congresswoman who was denied entry to the building when attempting to check on Huerta, according to her social media.
An ICE spokesperson did not immediately respond to an email inquiry for more information on why Huerta was detained.
U.S. Rep. Lateefah Simon, D-Oakland, said the arrest was unacceptable in a post on X on Friday.
“SEIU President David Huerta was injured and arrested today for simply exercising his first amendment right during an ICE raid in LA,” Simon wrote. “How Huerta was treated is horrific and the increased terrorization of immigrant communities is unacceptable.”
U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, released a statement through his office Sunday encouraging further peaceful protest and calling the arrest “unsurprising.”
“The Trump Administration’s choice to deploy California’s National Guard and arrest California SEIU President David Huerta are typical and unsurprising. The Trump Administration is doing exactly what they do best: dividing the American people and causing chaos,” he said.
“People have a right to protest peacefully and within the law. Local law enforcement has not requested federal support. Our Governor has asked this administration to get out of California, so they should get out. I urge Los Angeles residents to continue to stand up to this intimidation by continuing to speak out and demonstrate peacefully,” Thompson’s statement said.
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.
SEIU PRESIDENT David Huerta
SEIU local 1021 represents 60,000 employees in multiple fields in Northern California. SEIU local 1021 President Theresa Rutherford said Huerta was hospitalized following his assault by ICE agents and that he was only present at the protest as an observer. She said Saturday that it remained unclear why he was still being detained.
Rutherford also passed on a statement from Huerta.
“President David Huerta has long been a fighter for immigrant rights and worker rights. He said, ‘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 must object to this madness because this is not justice. This is injustice. And we all have to stand on the right side of justice.’“
The union is planning a rally Monday at 4 p.m. in Sacramento to protest the arrest and raids that will be held on the west side of the Capitol.
The San Francisco Labor Council also released a statement denouncing the arrest and calling for his immediate release.
“We also 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. Immigrant workers are essential to our society: feeding our nation, caring for our elders, cleaning our workplaces, and building our homes,” the statement said.
Gov. Gavin Newsom also condemned the deployment of 2,000 California National Guard troops to Los Angeles in response to the protests in a news release Sunday that included a litany of statements critical of the ICE raids and military deployment from 14 of the state’s congressional representatives, both of its U.S. Senators, state Attorney General Rob Bonta, several state lawmakers, and representatives of the NAACP, ACLU Southern California, and Amnesty International.
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