The Service Employees International Union in California celebrated on Monday after chapter leader David Huerta reached a diversion agreement with prosecutors over his role in anti-deportation riots, resulting in the Justice Department dropping the charges against him.
SEIU California claimed Huerta was “vindicated” by the case after the Department of Justice charged him in June 2025 for trying to block federal vehicles with protesters during an immigration raid in Los Angeles. Huerta’s arrest sparked outrage and larger demonstrations against Immigration and Customs Enforcement that led to rioting, assaults on law enforcement, and property destruction for days.
“14 months after being tackled and pepper sprayed for observing an ICE raid, David Huerta is vindicated,” SEIU California said in an X post, omitting that Huerta physically obstructed ICE from executing a judicial warrant. “This attempt to weaponize the justice system against anyone who dares to defend immigrant workers collapsed because the truth, and the videos, don’t lie. To every worker, every immigrant, everyone who’s ever been targeted: now is the time to keep organizing.”
The Friday agreement requires First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli’s office to drop its misdemeanor charge of interfering with federal officers after 30 days in exchange for Huerta admitting his conduct and complying with bond conditions. The document describes how Huerta “positioned himself in the driveway outside the front gate of the Search Warrant Location” to block deportation agents “and encouraged others to do the same.” He faced up to a year in prison if convicted.
“Should he unlawfully interfere with any federal agent engaged in their duties, we will not hesitate to arrest and charge him again,” Essayli, a President Donald Trump appointee, said in a Monday X post.
LEFTIST VANDALS BENT ON DESTROYING FLOCK CAMERAS THAT POSE ‘DANGER FOR RADICALS’
Essayli’s office initially gave Huerta a felony charge of conspiracy to impede or injure an officer in June 2025, but downgraded it in October.
Huerta’s arrest led the SEIU and other leftist groups to organize a Los Angeles press conference the same day, which led to rioting and arrests, according to multiple reports. Estimates of damage costs from the days of violence ranged from $32 million to $1 billion.