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Alex Padilla, a Democratic California senator and a vocal critic of the Trump administration’s immigration polices, was forcibly removed and handcuffed as he attempted to ask a question at a press conference held by Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, in Los Angeles on Thursday. The incident has shocked his colleagues from Capitol Hill to California.
In video taken of the incident that has since gone viral on social media, Padilla is seen being restrained and removed from the room by multiple men.
“I’m Senator Alex Padilla. I have questions for the secretary,” Padilla is heard saying, as he struggles to get past the men removing him from the premises.
“Hands off!” he can be heard shouting.
Speaking after the incident, Padilla told reporters that he was “immediately, forcibly removed from the room” and handcuffed, but not arrested or detained.
Padilla, who is the ranking member of the judiciary subcommittee on immigration, citizenship and border safety, said he had been seeking more information from the DHS on its “increasingly extreme immigration enforcement actions” but had not received a response to his multiple inquiries.
“If this is how this administration responds to a senator with a question, if this is how the DHS responds to a senator with a question, you can only imagine what they’re doing to farm workers, to cooks, to day laborers, throughout the LA community and throughout California and throughout the country. We will hold this administration accountable,” Padilla told reporters.
“We’ll have more to say in the coming days.”
In a statement, the DHS accused the senator of choosing “disrespectful political theatre” and failing to identify himself when he interrupted the news conference and “lunged toward” Noem as she delivered remarks to reporters.
“Mr. Padilla was told repeatedly to back away and did not comply with officers’ repeated commands,” the department said in a statement posted on X. “@SecretService thought he was an attacker and officers acted appropriately. Secretary Noem met with Senator Padilla after and held a 15 minute meeting.”
In a statement from Padilla’s office, his team said: “Senator Padilla is currently in Los Angeles exercising his duty to perform congressional oversight of the federal government’s operations in Los Angeles and across California. He was in the federal building to receive a briefing with General Guillot and was listening to Secretary Noem’s press conference.
“He tried to ask the secretary a question, and was forcibly removed by federal agents, forced to the ground and handcuffed. He is not currently detained, and we are working to get additional information.”
Asked about the senator’s removal, Noem said she would meet with him after the press conference.
“When I leave here, I’ll find him and visit and find out really what his concerns were. I think everybody in America would agree that that wasn’t appropriate, that if you wanted to have a civil discussion, especially as a leader, a public official, that you would reach out and try to have a conversation.”
A Fox News reporter who reportedly witnessed Padilla’s removal says he was “forced to the ground and FBI police handcuffed him” before being “escorted down the hall” and “temporarily detained”.
Additional footage, taken by an NBC reporter, showed multiple officers holding Padilla down.
Democratic officials said they were stunned by what the Senate minority leader described as the “manhandling” of a sitting US senator.
The California governor, Gavin Newsom, called Padilla “one of the most decent people I know,” before adding: “This is outrageous, dictatorial, and shameful. Trump and his shock troops are out of control. This must end now.”
Chuck Schumer, the Senate Democratic leader, wrote on X that “watching this video sickened my stomach, the manhandling of a United States Senator, Senator Padilla. We need immediate answers to what the hell went on.”
Jimmy Gomez, a California representative, wrote on X : “This isn’t just shocking, it’s a threat to the rule of law and democratic accountability. Sen. Padilla is conducting oversight over the lawlessness of the Trump and the violations of the #RuleOfLaw. If this can happen to immigrant communities, it can happen to anyone.”
Tina Smith, a Minnesota senator, said: “This is disgusting. If this is how they treat Alex Padilla, a United States Senator, how do you think they’ll treat you?”
Norma Torres, a California representative, lambasted the treatment of Padilla in an impassioned video, writing: “Let’s call it what it is: a disgraceful abuse of power. Senator Alex Padilla was dragged and handcuffed out for daring to question Secretary Noem. This wasn’t a threat – it was dissent. They’re not keeping us safe – they’re silencing us.”
