Key facts
- Federal prosecutors have moved to dismiss charges against David Huerta, president of SEIU California.
- Huerta was arrested in June 2025 during a protest against an Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation.
- The charges against Huerta were initially a felony but were later downgraded to a misdemeanor.
- Huerta and his legal team argued the prosecution was baseless and intended to silence critics.
- The Justice Department has experienced significant losses in similar protest-related cases.
Federal prosecutors have filed a motion to dismiss charges against David Huerta, president of Service Employees International Union California, who was arrested during a protest against the Trump administration’s immigration policies. Huerta and his legal team have consistently argued that the prosecution was baseless and intended to silence critics of the administration's immigration actions.
Huerta's attorneys, Abbe David Lowell and Marilyn Bednarski, stated that the filing proves critics will not be silenced. This development is part of a broader trend where the Justice Department has struggled to secure convictions in cases involving individuals accused of assaulting or hindering federal officers during protests against immigration policies.
The U.S. attorney’s office in Los Angeles noted that Huerta was charged with interfering with a judicial search warrant and has adhered to his bond conditions for over a year. They expect the case to be fully dismissed if he continues to comply with pretrial release terms.
Huerta, who has been with the SEIU for over two decades, was elected president of SEIU California in 2022. He was previously recognized during the Obama administration for his work on an immigrant integration program.