DOJ Drops Charges Against Labor Leader David Huerta

Huerta, who leads SEIU California and SEIU-United Service Workers West, was originally hit with a felony obstruction charge following an ICE raid in Los Angeles last year. Video footage of the incident, which depicted a masked officer shoving Huerta to the ground, sparked immediate public outcry and calls for his release. The government eventually downgraded the charge to a misdemeanor before filing for a total dismissal.

Defense attorneys Abbe Lowell and Marilyn Bednarski condemned the prosecution as a calculated effort to silence criticism of the administration’s immigration enforcement tactics. They argued that the government’s willingness to pursue a case that could not withstand scrutiny highlights a fundamental failure in the justice system. Former federal prosecutor Laurie Levenson noted that the case appeared flawed from the start, suggesting that the defense had a strong argument that law enforcement acted aggressively while Huerta was merely exercising his right to protest.