
Democratic US Senator Alex Padilla forced to ground, handcuffed by federal agents
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Democratic U.S. Senator Alex Padilla was shoved, forced to the ground and handcuffed by security after attempting to ask a question at a press conference on Thursday held by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem about immigration raids "I am Senator Alex Padilla. I have questions for the secretary," Padilla said during the press conference in Los Angeles, where Noem was discussing protests in the city over President Donald Trump 's immigration crackdown."Hands off," Padilla, 52, said to security agents before he was ushered out of the room.A video shared by Padilla showed what happened next: Three agents pushed him to the ground and handcuffed his hands behind his back. Reuters was not immediately able to confirm the authenticity of the video.Padilla represents California, where Los Angeles has seen days of protests against Trump's crackdown on migrants. The White House responded by sending National Guard troops and U.S. Marines into the city, saying they would help secure federal buildings and defend Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.The Department of Homeland Security in a statement on X accused Padilla of engaging in "disrespectful political theater"."@SecretService thought he was an attacker and officers acted appropriately," the department said, adding that Noem later met with Padilla.Padilla said in a statement he was released shortly after."If this is how the Department of Homeland Security responds to a senator with a question, you can only imagine what they're doing to farmers, to cooks, to day-laborers throughout the Los Angeles community and throughout California and throughout the country," Padilla said.FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino defended agents' actions on social media."The senator in question was not wearing a security pin and physically resisted law enforcement when confronted," Bongino said, referring to the lapel pins senators typically wear in the Capitol. "Our FBI personnel acted completely appropriately while assisting Secret Service."During Trump's first week in office, his administration warned it would investigate officials who sought to resist his hardline immigration agenda. It has acted on those threats.Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested and charged with trespassing on May 9 while visiting a privately run immigration center. Prosecutors later dropped those charges but charged Democratic U.S. Representative LaMonica McIver with assaulting and resisting officers who were trying to arrest Baraka.Both have denied wrongdoing.Federal prosecutors also criminally charged a Wisconsin judge for attempting to help a man in her court evade immigration authorities.Trump earlier this week said he would support the arrest of California's Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, who has accused the administration of violating the law by sending troops into the city."This is a sad and frightening state of affairs," McIver said on Thursday. "This administration will stop at nothing to keep elected officials from doing our jobs and demanding accountability for our constituents. We're seeing it in real time: They don't want oversight, they want total control."The Padilla dust-up triggered immediate, angry responses from Senate Democrats.Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said the video of the press conference "reeks of totalitarianism."Democratic Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey called Padilla's treatment "a pattern and a practice. This is not an isolated incident," referencing the Newark incident."I have been here for more than 32 years," said Democratic Senator Patty Murray of Washington state. "I cannot believe that we don't have senators on both sides of the aisle calling this out as outrageous."Many Republicans found fault with Padilla's actions."He should have been here in Washington voting. He has a responsibility to his constituents to show up at work, not to go try to make a spectacle of himself," Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming, the chamber's No. 2 Republican, told reporters.Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, a maverick in her party who in the past has said that Trump's threats of political retaliation make people "afraid," criticized Padilla's treatment."Senator Padilla is a big, tall guy, and to see how he was handled out of that room is wrong and sick," she told reporters at the Capitol.
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(NewsNation) — Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said Thursday that Sen. Alex Padilla should be charged and prosecuted after the California Democrat was forcibly removed and handcuffed during a Homeland Security news conference in Los Angeles. 'He should be charged. He should be prosecuted,' Greene, a Georgia Republican, told 'The Hill on NewsNation,' adding that Padilla 'came in very aggressively' and 'actually fought police.' Video footage shows multiple agents restraining Padilla and forcing him from the room during Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's press conference. Additional video shows agents pushing Padilla to the floor to handcuff him. Geraldo Rivera: Sen. Padilla's removal a 'bad look' 'I'm Senator Alex Padilla. I have questions for the secretary,' Padilla is heard saying as he's pushed out of the room. As he's forced through double doors, he can be heard saying, 'Hands off!' A Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman said Secret Service agents thought Padilla was an attacker and 'acted appropriately.' Noem later said she spoke with Padilla for 15 minutes after the incident and told him no one realized who he was when he 'created a scene.' However, the video clearly shows Padilla identifying himself as a senator. Greene criticized Padilla for not wearing his congressional identification pin and said he 'resisted arrest' and 'aggressively refused to leave.' Padilla forcibly removed from Noem press conference, handcuffed 'You never saw any Republican member of Congress or senator going out aggressively towards the Biden administration secretaries and Cabinet officials,' Greene said. 'You never saw us fighting police officers and resisting an arrest.' In his own press conference following the incident, Padilla said he was there peacefully to ask a question. 'I was not arrested and I was not detained,' Padilla said. 'If this is how this administration responds to a senator with a question, you can only imagine what they are doing to farmers, to cooks, to day laborers out in the Los Angeles community and throughout the country.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


Time of India
13-06-2025
- Time of India
Democratic US Senator Alex Padilla forced to ground, handcuffed by federal agents
— SenAlexPadilla (@SenAlexPadilla) Live Events LATEST INCIDENT PARTISAN RESPONSE (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Democratic U.S. Senator Alex Padilla was shoved, forced to the ground and handcuffed by security after attempting to ask a question at a press conference on Thursday held by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem about immigration raids "I am Senator Alex Padilla. I have questions for the secretary," Padilla said during the press conference in Los Angeles, where Noem was discussing protests in the city over President Donald Trump 's immigration crackdown."Hands off," Padilla, 52, said to security agents before he was ushered out of the room.A video shared by Padilla showed what happened next: Three agents pushed him to the ground and handcuffed his hands behind his back. Reuters was not immediately able to confirm the authenticity of the represents California, where Los Angeles has seen days of protests against Trump's crackdown on migrants. The White House responded by sending National Guard troops and U.S. Marines into the city, saying they would help secure federal buildings and defend Immigration and Customs Enforcement Department of Homeland Security in a statement on X accused Padilla of engaging in "disrespectful political theater"."@SecretService thought he was an attacker and officers acted appropriately," the department said, adding that Noem later met with said in a statement he was released shortly after."If this is how the Department of Homeland Security responds to a senator with a question, you can only imagine what they're doing to farmers, to cooks, to day-laborers throughout the Los Angeles community and throughout California and throughout the country," Padilla Deputy Director Dan Bongino defended agents' actions on social media."The senator in question was not wearing a security pin and physically resisted law enforcement when confronted," Bongino said, referring to the lapel pins senators typically wear in the Capitol. "Our FBI personnel acted completely appropriately while assisting Secret Service."During Trump's first week in office, his administration warned it would investigate officials who sought to resist his hardline immigration agenda. It has acted on those Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested and charged with trespassing on May 9 while visiting a privately run immigration center. Prosecutors later dropped those charges but charged Democratic U.S. Representative LaMonica McIver with assaulting and resisting officers who were trying to arrest have denied prosecutors also criminally charged a Wisconsin judge for attempting to help a man in her court evade immigration earlier this week said he would support the arrest of California's Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, who has accused the administration of violating the law by sending troops into the city."This is a sad and frightening state of affairs," McIver said on Thursday. "This administration will stop at nothing to keep elected officials from doing our jobs and demanding accountability for our constituents. We're seeing it in real time: They don't want oversight, they want total control."The Padilla dust-up triggered immediate, angry responses from Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said the video of the press conference "reeks of totalitarianism."Democratic Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey called Padilla's treatment "a pattern and a practice. This is not an isolated incident," referencing the Newark incident."I have been here for more than 32 years," said Democratic Senator Patty Murray of Washington state. "I cannot believe that we don't have senators on both sides of the aisle calling this out as outrageous."Many Republicans found fault with Padilla's actions."He should have been here in Washington voting. He has a responsibility to his constituents to show up at work, not to go try to make a spectacle of himself," Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming, the chamber's No. 2 Republican, told Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, a maverick in her party who in the past has said that Trump's threats of political retaliation make people "afraid," criticized Padilla's treatment."Senator Padilla is a big, tall guy, and to see how he was handled out of that room is wrong and sick," she told reporters at the Capitol.