Justice Department Drops David Huerta Case With Prejudice After 2025 ICE Protest Arrest
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jul 27
Justice Department Drops David Huerta Case With Prejudice After 2025 ICE Protest Arrest
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jul 27
Summary
Los Angeles federal prosecutors asked the court Monday to dismiss the remaining misdemeanor against David Huerta with prejudice by the end of August, barring the charge from being refiled.
Huerta was arrested during a 6 June 2025 protest against an ICE raid in LA's garment district, after prosecutors first charged him with felony conspiracy and later reduced the case to obstructing a federal officer.
The filing gave no reason for dropping the case beyond saying all parties agreed, but it comes after a string of failed Justice Department prosecutions of immigrants and protesters accused of impeding immigration agents.
Huerta called the case baseless and politically motivated, while a Justice Department spokesperson said the agency does not arrest people for peaceful protest and claimed Huerta agreed to accept responsibility under pretrial terms.
The collapse of one of the earliest high-profile cases tied to the Trump administration's Southern California immigration crackdown is a setback for a broader effort to criminally pursue protest-related conduct.