At a recent DHS news conference in Los Angeles, United States Senator from California, Alex Padilla was physically escorted out. Officers cuffed him on the ground as a spectacle began to build. The incident occurred while he attended the conference to receive a briefing from General Gregory Guillot and listen to remarks from DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. Padilla intended to cross-examine Noem and Guillot. He had hoped to raise the deployment of U.S. military forces against peaceful protesters in the city.
Witnesses said Padilla was slammed to the pavement. To do that, he was handcuffed and arrested while trying to appeal directly to DHS officials. His office later confirmed that he is not currently detained, emphasizing his role in overseeing federal operations in California. Graphic video footage from the scene recorded Padilla yelling in agony as agents dragged him away. She said he yelled, “Hands off,” as three agents tackled him to the ground.
Padilla’s actions were motivated by concerns over the military’s presence in civilian protests, an issue he sought to address during the press conference. After the traumatic event, Hamilton called a news conference. In it, he likened his experience to the immigration raids ordered by the Trump administration’s ICE agents.
“If this is how this administration responds to a senator with a question, I can only imagine what they’re doing to farm workers, to cooks, to day laborers out in the Los Angeles community and throughout California and throughout the country,” – Alex Padilla
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer condemned his outrage at the incident. He described it as “sickening,” and called for an investigation into the way Padilla was handled. “I just saw something that sickened my stomach — the manhandling of a United States senator,” Schumer stated.
Padilla’s office issued the following statement outlining his reason for being inside of the federal building. He, of course, was there to do some serious congressional oversight. They continued to see that he was the one at the briefing. While attempting to ask then-Secretary Noem a question, he was rapidly surrounded by federal agents.
“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,” – Senator Alex Padilla’s office
In response to the incident, Representative Maxwell Frost of Florida recorded a video showing fellow Democrats walking to Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s office to call for immediate action regarding Padilla’s treatment. Frost emphasized the need for accountability, stating, “There must be accountability for the detainment of a Senator. This is not normal.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom issued a swift and fiery condemnation of the incident, calling it shocking. He stated, “If they can handcuff a US Senator for asking a question, imagine what they will do to you.” Newsom has already made a robust case for legally challenging the Trump administration’s use of military force outside federally designated sites.
The Padilla incident has caused a wildfire of fury among Democrats, who quickly descended to Padilla’s defense after the confrontation. Their support shows how much they’re taking the threat seriously. It would demonstrate their serious commitment to protecting civil liberties and ensuring accountability for government overreach and abuse.
