California Under Attack
With Huerta Cuffed, Padilla Slammed, and ICE Militarized, the Golden State Is Officially Under Siege by the Right
Members of the National Guard stand before protesters in downtown Los Angeles on Monday, June 9. | Photo courtesy the National Guard
“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. ”
As this article is being written, the president of the United States has taken over California’s National Guard and brought in the Marines to back them up. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers are terrorizing California’s urban neighborhoods and agricultural lands alike, detaining and deporting both undocumented workers and anyone else who might be nearby. A labor leader was arrested, and a U.S. senator was thrown to the ground and cuffed for asking questions during a deliberately inflammatory press conference hosted by U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
Donald Trump’s second term as president is in full swing, and America is tilting toward a dystopia that many could never have imagined.
Just a brief recap of recent events...
On Friday, June 6, ICE agents engaged in numerous raids across Los Angeles and in surrounding areas, targeting individuals allegedly in the U.S. illegally.
The L.A. community responded with several protests, leading the resistance against the strong-arm, heavy-handed attacks by federal law enforcement. Labor and its partners stood strong as part of these protests.
In response, Trump borrowed a page out of “Dictatorship for Dummies” and immediately federalized the California National Guard — without consulting with Governor Gavin Newsom — to assist in ICE raids and aid in crushing dissent by residents of the Golden State.
Trump’s action is the first time a state’s National Guard has been commandeered by a president without request from the state since 1965. Newsom sued, and a judge agreed that Trump overstepped his bounds. On appeal, however, the ruling was overturned, which means the troops have reverted to Trump’s control until further notice.
Then, Trump intensified matters by calling in the Marines — seemingly his attempt to make downtown L.A., where intense anti-ICE demonstrations have been taking place, into some sort of new domestic Iwo Jima.
In the thick of it all, several arguably unconstitutional events occurred, including the violent arrest of David Huerta, president of Service Employees International Union (SEIU) California, who was present at an ICE protest in L.A.
“We condemn the arrest and detention of [Huerta],” wrote San Francisco Building and Construction Trades Secretary–Treasurer Rudy Gonzalez in a statement shared on social media. “David was exercising his First Amendment right and bearing witness to yet another attack on the immigrant community.”
The SF Labor Council also joined in the chorus of those demanding Huerta’s release.
Huerta was arrested after allegedly blocking a vehicle and charged with felony conspiracy to impede an officer. He was initially taken to a hospital with a head injury and eventually released on $50,000 bail.
“What happened to me is not about me,” Huerta said in a statement. “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’s arrest galvanized the labor movement even further, with thousands rallying for his release in downtown L.A.
“We are proud of President Huerta’s righteous participation as a community observer, in keeping with his long history of advocating for immigrant workers and with the highest values of our movement: standing up to injustice, regardless of personal risk or the power of those perpetrating it,” said SEIU California Executive Director Tia Orr.
Following Huerta’s release on Monday, June 9, three days after his detention, SEIU International President April Verrett issued a lengthy statement expressing gratitude for those who fought for his freedom and called for the release of everyone unjustly detained.
“SEIU will always stand up to protect the rights and dignity of hard-working people and the safety of workers in the workplace,” she wrote. “Imagine what it feels like for thousands of workers around the country to be attacked by masked men with weapons, or to bear witness to their co-workers getting dragged away, knowing their kids may not see them again.”
Huerta made a name for himself in labor circles for his work with Janitors for Justice. He’s been president of California’s SEIU since 2022, leading 750,000 members. He was honored by former President Barack Obama in 2014 with a National Champion of Change award.
SEIU has 2.2 million members nationally.
A day after Huerta was released, on Tuesday, June 10, security guards forcibly removed U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) from an L.A. press conference held by Secretary of Homeland Security Noem in an unprecedented display of indecorum. Padilla was roughly hustled out of the room, pushed face-down onto the ground, and handcuffed, all for the crime of asking Noem to explain her actions during an event meant for that very purpose.
Padilla’s treatment led to widespread condemnation. He was ultimately released later that day. In the meantime, Noem has promised to ramp up ICE deportation activities in “Democrat-led” cities, specifically in L.A. County and the Bay Area.
Stay tuned for more reporting on these matters.