Law enforcement officials conducted sweeping immigration raids in Los Angeles as part of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown efforts and arrested 44 people for immigration-related offenses and one for “obstruction,” namely David Huerta, the president of the California branch of the Service Employees International Union.
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“Federal agents were executing a lawful judicial warrant at a LA worksite this morning when David Huerta deliberately obstructed their access by blocking their vehicle. He was arrested for interfering with federal officers and will face arraignment in federal court on Monday,” posted Bill Essayli, the U.S. District Attorney for the Central District of California.
“Let me be clear: I don’t care who you are—if you impede federal agents, you will be arrested and prosecuted. No one has the right to assault, obstruct, or interfere with federal authorities carrying out their duties,” Essayli added.
In the image, Huerta is seen being handcuffed and placed in the back of a vehicle.
In a video, Huerta was shown standing in front of an unmarked white SUV used in the immigration raid before being pushed out of the way by a federal agent.
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He was seen falling to the ground with several agents around him and then taken into custody as protestors clashed with agents.
California Governor Gavin Newsom condemned the arrest of Huerta, a “respected leader, a patriot, and an advocate for working people.”
“No one should ever be harmed for witnessing government action,” Newsom said.
SEIU California released a statement saying that Huerta was treated for injuries he sustained during the arrest at a local hospital, but remains in federal custody.
“What happened to me is not about me; This is about something much bigger. This is about how we as a community stand together and resist the injustice that’s happening. Hard-working people, and members of our family and our community, are being treated like criminals. We all collectively have to object to this madness because this is not justice. This is injustice. And we all have to stand on the right side of justice,” Huerta said in a statement via the union.
SEIU represents doctors, nurses, social workers, janitors, security officers, and state workers, among others. It is a robust union of more than 750,000 members and has promised to fight back against ICE and other federal agencies who detained Huerta for “peacefully observing.”
“ICE picked the wrong side. The wrong state. The wrong person. and the wrong union. David Huerta stood up. And 750,000 SEIU workers are standing with him,” the union said in a social media post.
This comes as Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials have launched military-style raids in Los Angeles, according to social media videos.
Law enforcement officials are shown using flash bangs and tear gas on protestors who were trying to block coordinated immigration raids.
The LA Police Department, which did not partake in raids, was called to stop the protests amid the Trump administration setting a goal for ICE to arrest at least 3,000 migrants per day.
ICE and Homeland Security Investigations reported the “administrative arrest” of 44 individuals for immigration-related offenses.
This followed the arrests of many protesters against the detention of suspected immigration violators and individuals using fraudulent documents, according to Al Jazeera.
Agents from ICE, the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Department of Homeland Security allegedly carried out these arrests without judicial warrants, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said.
White House aide and immigration hardliner Stephen Miller condemned the protests and called them an “insurrection” against the United States.
“An insurrection against the laws and sovereignty of the United States,” Miller wrote on X, responding to video footage showing a large number of protestors in downtown Los Angeles.
“We are working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice,” FBI deputy director Dan Bongino said on X. “The Right to assemble and protest does not include a license to attack law enforcement officers, or to impede and obstruct our lawful immigration operations.”
LA Mayor Karen Bass condemned the immigration raids in a statement, Reuters reported.
“I am deeply angered by what has taken place,” she said. “These tactics sow terror in our communities and disrupt basic principles of safety in our city. We will not stand for this.”