LOS ANGELES – The head of a prominent Southern California labor union, who was detained during a protest against an immigration raid earlier this year, has entered a not guilty plea to a misdemeanor charge. His trial is slated for January.

David Huerta, who leads the Service Employees International Union in California, was taken into custody on June 6 while participating in a large demonstration outside a Los Angeles business. The protest was in response to a federal investigation into alleged immigration violations at the site.

Initially, Huerta faced charges of obstructing and resisting a federal officer—a serious felony. However, the original felony charge, which involved conspiracy to hinder an officer, was dropped by federal prosecutors last month.

On Tuesday, Huerta pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor charge of obstruction of justice, with his trial set to commence on January 20, 2026, according to the Los Angeles Times.

During the protest in June, Huerta reportedly sat in front of a gate and encouraged others to form a human blockade by walking in circles, aiming to impede law enforcement’s entry and exit. This account was detailed in a federal court document by a Homeland Security Investigations special agent, a division of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

An officer told Huerta to leave, then put his hands on Huerta to move him out of the way of a vehicle, the agent wrote. Huerta pushed back, and the officer pushed Huerta to the ground and arrested him, according to the filing.

Huerta’s union represents hundreds of thousands of janitors, security officers and other workers across California. His arrest became a rallying cry for immigrant advocates across the country as they called for his release and an end to President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.

Abbe David Lowell and Marilyn Bednarski, Huerta’s attorneys, said in a statement that they will seek “the speediest trial” to vindicate him.