The Justice Department moves to dismiss the criminal case against SEIU leader David Huerta
The U.S. Department of Justice moved to dismiss the criminal case against David Huerta, the president of Service Employees International Union California. Huerta was arrested in June 2025 while protesting an immigration raid in Los Angeles. The administration announced that the government does not arrest people for peacefully protesting, noting that Huerta has complied with the terms of his bond for over a year. While the government initially charged Huerta with a felony for obstructing an officer, the charge was later reduced to a misdemeanor. Huerta's attorneys, Abbe Lowell and Marilyn Bednarski, argued that the case was an attempt to silence criticism of the administration's immigration actions. Huerta himself claimed the case was a baseless attempt to punish him for exercising his constitutional rights. The move to dismiss the case marks a significant courtroom setback for the administration's efforts to prosecute those who hinder federal officers during the immigration crackdown. The arrest of David Huerta became a symbol of pushback against the administration's aggressive immigration enforcement tactics.