RAFU WIRE SERVICE AND STAFF REPORTS
Rep. Judy Chu (D-Pasadena) and other local leaders protested the arrest of Service Employees International Union (SEIU) California President David Huerta while observing an ICE raid in Downtown Los Angeles.
On June 6, Huerta was among a group of protesters outside an Ambiance garment warehouse building where federal authorities were conducting an immigration action, arresting multiple people. Video from the scene showed a man, presumed to be Huerta, being pushed out of the way of a white van being driven onto the warehouse property, then being tackled and taken into custody.
Huerta was charged with conspiracy to impede an officer. The criminal complaint accused him of cursing and taunting federal agents at the scene.
“I am outraged at the ICE raids in Downtown Los Angeles that not only targeted immigrant workers and spread fear throughout our community, but also attempted to silence those who dare to speak out against the Trump Administration’s cruel and unlawful immigration agenda,” Chu said.
“It is clear that SEIU President David Huerta was exercising his right to observe law enforcement activity and stand with community in peaceful protest to these raids. I stand with David and with immigrant communities across this country, and demand his immediate release along with the release of those detained in the raids.
“I will not allow this administration to tear apart families and terrorize neighborhoods. Immigrants strengthen our nation and every person in this country has a right to due process. We need answers. We need accountability. And we need to put an end to Donald Trump’s inhumane and disgusting attacks on immigrant communities.”
On June 8, Chu and Reps. Gil Cisneros (D-Covina) and Derek Tran (D-Cypress), along with representatives from the ACLU and the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, attempted to visit the Adelanto Detention Facility in San Bernardino County, where those detained in the immigration raids were believed to be held.
In a video posted on social media, Chu said, “We have the right to conduct oversight of this facility. But as soon as we drove up, they actually put this lock on this gate .. so that we could not even get in and exercise our lawful duty. That’s not right.”
Huerta issued a statement through the union, saying, “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. Hardworking 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.”
A rally was held at Grand Park on June 9 to demand Huerta’s release.
Huerta appeared in federal court that day and was released on a $50,000 bond. He was ordered to remain 100 yards away from federal agents or operations, and an arraignment date of July 7 was scheduled.
Los Angeles City Controller Kenneth Mejia said, “These raids are cruel, tear families apart, and are an affront to who we are as a city. Attacking and corralling community members from local hardware stores and warehouses is just another instance of dehumanizing immigrant workers. The City of Los Angeles is built by immigrants. L.A. is stronger, better, and a true testament of our principles when we welcome and care of our immigrant neighbors.
“The City of L.A.’s Sanctuary City Ordinance prohibits city resources from being used to aid federal immigration enforcement. However, today, the city witnessed through videos and media coverage the LLAPD officers within the vicinity of ICE raids. LAPD’s presence raises serious questions about whether we are abiding by our city’s mandate as a sanctuary city and is a cute for concern and confusion regarding LAPD’s role.
“I have begun communications with LAPD leadership to determine the reason behind LAPD’s presence at today’s raids. A preliminary explanation offered by the LAPD is that LAPD is deployed to calls for help regardless of who is requesting their assistance, e.g. ICE, another agency or a member of the public. While we await formal answers to our community’s questions, my office will be assessing the impact that today’s activities have had on our city resources and your tax dollars.”
City Councilmember Ysabel Jurado of the 14th District, which includes Downtown, Little Tokyo and Boyle Heights, said, “What’s unfolding across Los Angeles is painful, and I know so many of us are feeling shaken, angry, and uncertain. But I want you to know: you are not alone. My office is here to provide information, resources, and support.
“Everyone in our city deserves safety and respect, regardless of immigration status. Recent actions don’t reflect who we are or the values we share, and they certainly don’t make our communities safe.
“My office is actively coordinating with city departments, legal advocates, and community partners to ensure every resident has access to trusted information and resources.”
Responses to Unrest
Democratic elected officials, including Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, were leading the opposition to President Trump’s decision to deploy the National Guard to Los Angeles County after two days of occasionally violent protests. Members of both parties condemned the violence.
State Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement, “President Trump’s order calling federalized National Guard troops into Los Angeles – over the objections of the governor and local law enforcement – is unnecessary and counterproductive. It’s also deeply unfair to the members of the National Guard who are hard at work every day protecting our state, preparing for and responding to emergencies, and training so that, if called, they can fight our nation’s wars.
“Let me be clear: There is no invasion. There is no rebellion. The president is trying to manufacture chaos and crisis on the ground for his own political ends. Federalizing the California National Guard is an abuse of the president’s authority under the law – and not one we take lightly. We’re asking a court to put a stop to the unlawful, unprecedented order.”
Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Torrance) commented, “Those in our community wanting to peacefully protest should be able to do so. Local law enforcement said they could handle stopping unlawful activity, but Trump created a crisis to federalize California’s National Guard. This spectacle makes people less safe and raises tensions.”
Rep. Mark Takano (D-Riverside) said, “Trump is not calling up the National Guard in California to keep people safe. He is doing it to inflame passions and provoke chaos, giving him the pretext to overrule the governor of any state whenever it suits his whims. That’s scary and should worry every American, because if Trump gets away with it here, he will do it elsewhere. This is not about safety — it’s about power and intimidation.”
Rep. Doris Matsui (D-Sacramento) said, “President Trump’s deployment of the California National Guard is clearly meant to escalate the situation and deepen his culture of fear. Time and again, the Trump Administration has undermined the rule of law to extend unilateral power. That’s exactly what this is – a power grab to intimidate our immigrant communities and silence dissent.
“The National Guard is made up of our families and neighbors who volunteered to protect our country. Weaponizing them against their own communities is beyond shameful. Provoking chaos and division to justify seizing more power is unconscionable. As Californians, we cannot allow our immigrant communities to be unjustly targeted. Peaceful protest is not against the law.”
Rep. Dave Min (D-Irvine) added, “The legal rationale given by Trump for seizing California’s National Guard was 10 U.S. Code § 12406. This statute allows the president to deploy National Guard units under very limited circumstances, NONE OF WHICH APPLY HERE. This is unprecedented and completely lawless!
“10 U.S.C. § 12406 states the president may deploy the National Guard if and only if: 1) the USA is ‘in danger of invasion by a foreign nation’; 2) there is a rebellion against the USA; or 3) the president is unable to otherwise enforce federal law. None of these apply to this situation …
“We must continue to resist, peacefully and while obeying the law.”
Regarding the violence, Los Angeles City Councilmember John Lee said, “I understand the anger and frustration many are feeling in response to recent federal actions. Peaceful protest is a cornerstone of our democracy, and every Angeleno has the right to make their voice heard, but that does not include vandalism or violence, which will only escalate an already tense situation in our city.
“Exercise your rights, speak out, but do so in a way that upholds the safety, dignity, and well-being of the neighborhoods we call home.”
Rep. Young Kim (R-Mission Viejo) commented, “The scenes in Los Angeles are the direct result of the Biden-Harris administration’s open-border policies made worse by out-of-touch Sacramento policies and soft-on-crime prosecutors. We need law and order, not crime and chaos in our backyard. I stand with our brave law enforcement officers.”
Assemblymember Mark Gonzalez (D-Los Angeles) said in a statement on June 9, “What’s happening in Little Tokyo and parts of Downtown L.A. is absolutely unacceptable. Tagging historic landmarks, launching fireworks at officers, and terrorizing residents is not protest — it’s destruction. Causing chaos, damaging neighborhoods, and live-streaming for likes helps no one. Our elders, small businesses, and public spaces deserve better.
“If you’re out here chasing clout while our neighbors are scared and storefronts are boarded up — you’re not helping, you’re harming. You’re playing right into Trump’s hands and undermining the very movement you claim to support.”
Councilmember Jurado said that a curfew imposed on the Downtown area on June 10 was necessary. “When these peaceful rallies end and the protesters head home another element moves in — opportunists who come in under the cover of a peaceful protest to ravage and destroy. They are ruining local small businesses, smashing storefronts and threatening the safety of the very community that has welcomed people from across the city and globe.
“This isn’t just broken glass or stolen goods, it’s someone’s livelihood, someone’s safe space, someone’s home that’s been violated, and it’s happening in a neighborhood where working-class families are just trying to live.
“This curfew is not about silencing protests. It’s about protecting people and ensuring that the local residents, small businesses, our families, our elders and our workers are not left vulnerable to those who come only to destroy.”