Sen. Alex Padilla, Democrat from California, is removed from the room after interrupting a news conference with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem at the Wilshire Federal Building in Los Angeles on June 12.
Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images
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Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images
Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., was removed from a Homeland Security press conference in Los Angeles on Thursday.
Padilla is the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee.
A statement released by his office said Padilla “tried to ask the Secretary [Kristi Noem] 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.”
A statement on the Homeland Security Department’s X account accused Padilla of “disrespectful political theatre,” charging that he did not comply with requests to back away. The statement said that the senator and Noem spoke for 15 minutes after the incident.
“I’ll let the law enforcement speak about how this situation was handled, but I would say that people need to identify themselves before they start lunging at people, during press conferences,” Noem told reporters as she left the press conference.
From a video recording of the exchange, Padilla can be heard identifying himself as he’s pushed away. A recording later shows Padilla being handcuffed on the floor once he’s taken from the room of the event.
Ahead of the press conference, the department said the event was for Noem to “show her support for DHS, law enforcement, and U.S. military personnel who are working to restore law and order.”
The Trump administration has called on National Guard troops and Marines in recent days in response to protests of the administration’s immigration enforcement tactics.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, posted a video of the incident:
On the Senate floor, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., referred to video of the incident saying, “I just saw something that sickened my stomach; the manhandling of a United States Senator. We need immediate answers to what the hell went on.”
Adrian Florido contributed to this story.
This breaking news story will be updated.