The authorities released labor leader David Huerta with this week’s ties, a few days after his arrest for allegedly preventing federal officers while protesting immigration attacks in Los Angeles.
Huerta, a 58 -year -old California President from international employee services, one of the largest trade unions in the country, said he remained focused on immigrants detained in LA.
A advocate for workers and immigrants in southern California for decades, Huerta has been a ongoing point in a sustainable deadlock between federal immigration enforcement officers and protesters.
Since the protest broke out in LA on Friday in response to immigration attacks, the Trump government has mobilized 4,000 national guards and 700 marines to the area. Some demonstrators have damaged property but protests are mostly peaceful.
This is what must be known about David Huerta:
What do we know about the arrest of David Huerta?
Huerta was arrested while showing against immigration attacks at work in the center of LA. He was charged with a conspiracy to prevent an officer, a crime sentenced to prison up to six years.
Federal law describes violations as the use of “strength, intimidation, or threat” by two or more people to prevent federal officers from carrying out their duties, according to 18 AS CODE PART 372.
Huerta arrived at the metal gate near the workplace in the morning on Friday, according to criminal complaints, accused of Huerta shouted rough words and banged on the gate in an effort to intimidate federal agents.
When the white law enforcement van approached the gate, Huerta stood on the vehicle road by hand on his hips, a criminal complaint said.
When officers asked the protesters to clean the road, Huerta refused, the complaint added, saying an officer “put his hand on Huerta” in an effort to move him out of the vehicle’s road. According to the complaint, Huerta then encouraged the officer and the officer to handle it, finally put Huerta in the handcuffs.
In a post On Friday, US Lawyer Bill Essayli described the arrest of Huerta, by saying: “I don’t care who you are – if you prevent federal agents, you will be arrested and prosecuted.”
Several trade unions and members of the US DPR criticized the arrest as an effort to intimidate protesters and criminalize peaceful demonstrations.
Democrat representative Judy Chu, whose district is part of Los Angeles, said in a statement That federal authorities have tried to “silence those who dare to speak against the cruel immigration agenda and violate Trump’s administrative law.”
“It is clear that President Seiu David Huerta uses his rights to observe law enforcement activities and stand with the community in a peaceful protest for this raid,” Chu added.
David Huerta, President Seiu California and Seiu Usww spoke as Governor of California Gavin Newsom signed the AB1228 fast food bill in Los Angeles, 28 September 2023.
Ringo Chiu via AP
After his arrest, Huerta was taken to the hospital, where he was treated because of a head injury. He then entered the federal detention. The authorities released Huerta on Monday with a bond of $ 50,000.
Huerta did not submit an application, and his indictment was scheduled for July 7, the News Building News Service reported.
“It’s not my intention to be arrested,” Huerta told reporters outside the court building after being released, seemed to hold back tears.
Huerta said the focus remained on immigrants detained by federal officers. “While we are here and there are protests outside, that means, there, they are locked,” said Huerta.
Who is David Huerta?
Huerta is the old organizer and labor leader at the International Union employee service, which offers 2.2 million members throughout the country.
He began his career as a organizer based in California with janitors for justice, a national labor campaign that tried to raise wages and improve working conditions for cleansers in commercial buildings. Labor – Most consist of immigrants – win concessions from entrepreneurs in a number of big cities, including Los Angeles.
More than a decade of the term of office in Seiu, Huerta oversees the organizational campaign involving thousands of janitors and other service workers. He also led efforts to bring immigrant workers into organizational activities, including English classes for union members.
President Barack Obama gave Huerta as A National change champion in 2014.
In 2022, Huerta was elected as President of Seiu California, who counted 750,000 union members.
The union helped spearhead efforts to win a minimum wage of $ 20 per hour for around 500,000 fast food workers throughout California, many of them were immigrants. Governor of California Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, who was signed as a law in November 2023 an action that captured the minimum wage that was elevated for fast food workers. The law came into force last April.