The Voice News: David Huerta, president of the California branch of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), was released from federal custody in Los Angeles on June 9 after being detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). His arrest marks a troubling escalation in what appears to be a targeted campaign by the Trump administration against labor leaders.
Huerta’s case follows a series of detentions of union-affiliated individuals. In March, ICE arrested Alfredo “Lelo” Juarez Zeferino, a prominent farmworker organizer and founder of Familias Unidas por la Justicia in Washington state. Zeferino, a long-time activist instrumental in advancing workplace safety protections, is currently detained without bail, accused of ignoring a 2018 removal order—a claim his attorney contests.
Earlier, ICE detained Lewelyn Dixon, a University of Washington lab technician and SEIU Local 925 member. Dixon, a 64-year-old legal permanent resident originally from the Philippines, spent three months in detention due to a decades-old embezzlement charge. Maximo Londonio, another legal resident and union member in Washington state, has also been held by ICE since mid-May on unspecified nonviolent charges from over 20 years ago.
Unlike those cases, Huerta is a U.S. citizen, born and raised in the country. His only alleged offense was protesting ICE’s treatment of union members during a recent raid in Los Angeles. His arrest appears designed to send a message—but to whom, and for what purpose?
Traditionally, ICE operations are intended to instill fear among immigrant communities. But with Huerta, and possibly Zeferino, the federal government seems to be attempting something different: driving a wedge between the labor movement and undocumented immigrants.
That strategy, however, is outdated. While labor unions in past decades were wary of immigration—fearing it would depress wages or displace native-born workers—that stance has evolved. Historical labor icons like Cesar Chavez once took harsh anti-immigrant positions, even organizing patrols to stop undocumented workers. But today’s unions have shifted, recognizing that immigrants are essential members of the workforce and labor movement.
Since 1994, the proportion of foreign-born union members has risen from 8.4% to 15.4%, according to the Center for Economic and Policy Research. Immigrant workers are no longer on the outside—they’re central to the movement. The loudest calls for justice in recent deportation cases, like that of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, now come from union leaders and colleagues.
In Huerta’s case, the charges appear flimsy. The ICE criminal complaint accuses him of “conspiracy to impede an officer.” The evidence? Huerta allegedly texted during the protest, paced in front of a vehicle gate, sat down and encouraged others to join, and said things like “Stop the vehicles” and “It’s a public sidewalk, they can’t stop us.” At one point, an officer reportedly pushed Huerta, who pushed back. He was also accused of making an “offensive gesture”—likely flipping the bird—and banging on the gate. He was released on a $50,000 bond.
The legal basis for the conspiracy charge is questionable. U.S. law (18 U.S. Code § 372) defines conspiracy as an effort by two or more people to impede a federal officer. Yet the complaint identifies no co-conspirators. Peaceful protest and texting at a public demonstration hardly qualify as criminal conspiracy—unless merely exercising First Amendment rights now counts as obstruction.
