LOS ANGELES (KABC) — The arrest of a labor leader has become a rallying cry for immigrant advocates across the country who called for his release and an end to President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.
David Huerta, the 58-year-old president of Service Employees International Union California, was arrested Friday while protesting outside a business where federal law enforcement agents were investigating suspected immigration violations, authorities said. He was released from federal custody Monday on a $50,000 bond after a hearing in federal court in Los Angeles.
This comes after hundreds if not thousands of people gathered for a rally at Gloria Molina Grand Park in downtown Los Angeles, where civil rights and labor leaders demanded the release of Huerta from federal detention.
The rally was scheduled for noon, but the large crowd was already growing at 11 a.m. Many demonstrators had flags and signs.
Huerta, a long-time labor leader born and raised in Los Angeles County, has become the face of the pushback against Trump’s effort to drive up immigration arrests. His case has also drawn attention to the longstanding ties between Democratic officials and the union that represents hundreds of thousands of janitors, security officers and other workers across California.
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Article URL : https://abc7.com/post/rally-planned-downtown-los-angeles-demand-release-seiu-president-david-huerta/16705911/