Labor union members in Atlanta are joining nationwide calls for the release of David Huerta, the president of the Service Employees International Union of California who was arrested amid protests against immigration raids in Los Angeles last week.
Videos of the incident circulating online show Huerta tackled to the ground by law enforcement before being arrested. The 58-year-old union leader now faces a felony charge of conspiracy to impede an officer.
More than 2,100 miles away in downtown Atlanta on Monday — and across the street from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office — around 50 protesters gathered to stand in solidarity with Huerta and workers across the country who are under threat of deportation as the Trump administration cracks down on immigration.
Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez
Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez
“David was a man who fought for workers’ rights, who fought against the division of workers of any stripe, of any color, of any race, of any sex — of any different group at all,” said Harris Raynor, assistant regional director at Workers United, the southern branch of the same union Huerta represents.
“Those of you who watched the video saw David standing in the street bearing witness to ICE trampling on the rights of demonstrators in Los Angeles,” Raynor said.
The incident cast a spotlight on the immigrant population that makes up a large portion of the country’s service industry. In Atlanta on Monday, members of the Union of Southern Service Workers rallied in support of tens of thousands of immigrants detained by ICE during President Donald Trump’s second term.
In 2024, immigrant workers were 22% more likely to be in service occupations than native-born workers, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
“We’re going to keep protesting until the raids stop,” Waffle House employee Melissa Steach told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Service workers “do so much for us. … we need to do better.”
After his arrest, Huerta was hospitalized for injuries and then released into federal custody, according to a statement from SEIU California. A federal magistrate judge in California on Monday ordered Huerta be released on a $50,000 bond.
“We call for an end to the cruel, destructive and indiscriminate ICE raids that are tearing apart our communities, disrupting our economy and hurting all working people,” said Tia Orr, the union’s executive director. “Immigrant workers are essential to our society: feeding our nation, caring for our elders, cleaning our workplaces and building our homes.”
Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez
Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez
Huerta’s arrest Friday was followed by a weekend of clashes in Los Angeles between law enforcement and protesters calling for an end to immigration raids. President Donald Trump responded by deploying 2,000 National Guard members. In response, California’s attorney general announced that the state will sue Trump over his decision.
“I stand with the brave people of Los Angeles, the brave workers who have stood up and fought against violent repression,” said Elias Nail-DuPree, an organizer with the Party Socialism and Liberation. “We must stand united as the workers of this country — as the people who make this country run.”
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