ICE accused of long holding times, poor conditions in Baltimore
A DC- and Baltimore-based immigrant rights group says it has firsthand accounts of poor conditions, overcrowding and long holding times at the George Fallon Building in downtown Baltimore, where Immigration and Customs Enforcement holds detainees. "We have come to learn over the last couple of weeks, of examples of people being held at the Fallon building at the ice holding cell in Baltimore for way longer than 12 hours. 12 hours is the limit," said Eric Lopez, deputy program director with the Amica Center for Immigrant Rights. Lopez, who works with the group in Baltimore, told WMAR there are examples of people sleeping on the floor, not provided with blankets and being overcrowded in single rooms. They are not provided the access to showers or adequate access to food, he said in a Friday interview. READ MORE: https://www.wmar2news.com/local/ice-accused-of-long-holding-times-poor-conditions-in-baltimore-issues-statement
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Democrats condemn Sen. Alex Padilla's treatment at Noem news conference
Democrats expressed outraged after Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla of California was forcibly removed from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's news conference on Thursday in Los Angeles, taken to the ground and handcuffed by law enforcement officers. Noem was speaking to the media about the federal response to protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in the area when Padilla entered the room and approached Noem's podium. As he approached, police officers in the room grabbed the senator, rushed him out of the room into a hallway, forced him to the ground and handcuffed him. Video shows Padilla identifying himself and saying he wanted to ask a question as law enforcement forced him out of the room. Padilla was later seen without handcuffs speaking to Noem in a conference room. Noem said later that the two spoke for 10 to 15 minutes and exchanged phone numbers. Noem said she didn't expect him to be charged. Noem said law enforcement reacted because he took steps toward her without identifying himself. Video of the incident captures Padilla identifying himself as he is being dragged out; it's not clear if he identified himself before the incident or as he approached the podium. Padilla's Democratic colleagues were critical of the way he was treated. "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," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said. California Gov. Gavin Newsom called Padilla "one of the most decent people I know." "This is outrageous, dictatorial, and shameful," Newsom wrote on X. "Trump and his shock troops are out of control. This must end now." Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass posted on X, "What just happened to @SenAlexPadilla is absolutely abhorrent and outrageous." The Congressional Hispanic Caucus demanded an investigation into the incident. "This is unacceptable, full stop," the CHC posted on X. "@SenAlexPadilla attended an open press conference to engage in debate, to represent his state, to do his job. We demand a full investigation and consequences for every official involved in this assault against a sitting US senator." DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said Padilla did not identify himself before approaching the podium. "Senator Padilla chose disrespectful political theatre and interrupted a live press conference without identifying himself or having his Senate security pin on as he lunged toward Secretary Noem," she said in a post on X. "Mr. Padilla was told repeatedly to back away and did not comply with officers' repeated commands. @SecretService thought he was an attacker and officers acted appropriately." A statement from Padilla's office said he was in the building to receive a briefing from NORTHCOM commander Gen. Gregory Guillot and was listening to Noem's news 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," the statement said.
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Alex Padilla's Treatment at Kristi Noem Event Sparks Fury: 'What the Hell'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Democrats and Republicans alike were stunned on Thursday when California Senator Alex Padilla was handcuffed and forcibly removed from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem's news conference in Los Angeles. The Context Padilla was removed from Noem's press conference as he shouted that he wanted to ask her questions amid the government's response to ongoing demonstrations in Los Angeles against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in the area. "I'm Senator Alex Padilla, and I have questions for the secretary," Padilla was heard saying as he was escorted out of the room. Noem continued her remarks, addressing an audience of reporters and law enforcement officials. "I don't even know the senator. He did not request a meeting with me or to speak with me, so when I leave here I'll have a conversation with him, and visit and find out what his concerns were," Noem said. "I think everybody in America would agree that was inappropriate." What To Know "Watching this video sickened my stomach, the manhandling of a United States Senator, Senator Padilla," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote on X (formerly Twitter), alongside a video of Padilla being removed from the press conference. "We need immediate answers to what the hell went on." Democratic Representative Jimmy Gomez of California, whose district includes parts of Los Angeles, called Padilla's removal a "threat to the rule of law and democratic accountability." "If this can happen to immigrant communities, it can happen to anyone," he added. Democratic Representative Norma Torres of California wrote on X: "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." Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, one of the more moderate GOP voices in Congress, described the incident on X as "shocking," adding: "It's not the America I know." Some of President Donald Trump's allies, meanwhile, cheered Padilla's removal. "Whoa!! A sitting US Senator, Alex Padilla, was just shoved and forcibly removed from a press conference with DHS Secretary Kristi Noem," Charlie Kirk, the head of the right-wing group Turning Point USA, wrote on X. "Reports are he's been arrested. No one is above the law. It's about time these Democrats stopped acting like they are." It's unclear what, if any, law Padilla broke while attending Noem's press conference. This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.
Washington Post
an hour ago
- Washington Post
Protests over immigration raids continue across the US with more planned
AUSTIN, Texas — Protests over federal immigration enforcement raids are flaring up around the country, as officials in cities from coast to coast get ready for major demonstrations against President Donald Trump over the weekend. While many demonstrations against the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency have been peaceful, with marchers chanting slogans and carrying signs, others have led to clashes with police who have sometimes used chemical irritants to disperse crowds. Hundreds have been arrested. Volatile protests prompted city officials to enforce curfews in Los Angeles and Spokane. And in Texas, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has mobilized more than 5,000 National Guard troops to be ready to help law enforcement manage demonstrations in his state. Activists are planning 'No Kings' events across the country on Saturday to coincide with Trump's planned military parade in Washington, D.C. While those were already scheduled, they will happen amid the rising tensions of the week. The Trump administration said immigration raids and deportations will continue regardless. A look at some recent protests and reactions across the country: Hundreds of protesters marched through downtown Seattle Wednesday evening to a federal building where immigration cases are heard. Some of them dragged a dumpster nearby and set it on fire. The building was covered in graffiti, with 'Abolish ICE Now' written in large letters across its front window. They moved electric bikes and cones to block its entrance. Dozens of officers squared off with protesters near the federal building, with some shooting pepper spray. Police worked to move the crowd away and some protesters threw fireworks and rocks at officers, according to the Seattle Police Department. Mayor Lisa Brown imposed an overnight curfew in downtown Spokane after a protest Wednesday afternoon outside an ICE office that ended with more than 30 arrests and police firing pepper balls at the crowd. Brown said the curfew would 'protect public safety,' and that the majority of protesters were peaceful. 'We respect their right to peacefully protest and to be upset about federal policies,' she said. 'I have been that person who has protested federal policies and that is a right we have.' Several hundred protesters marched through downtown San Antonio and near the historic Alamo mission. Although Texas National Guard troops were seen in the area, the demonstration was mostly peaceful with no significant clashes with law enforcement. The Alamo building and plaza, among the most popular tourist attractions in the state, was closed to the public early and police guarded the property as the crowd gathered and marched nearby. This week's protests are leading into the scheduled 'No Kings' demonstrations that organizers say are planned in nearly 2,000 locations around the country , from city blocks to small towns, courthouse steps to community parks, according to the movement's website. Organizers plan a flagship march and rally in Philadelphia, but no protests are scheduled to take place in Washington, D.C., where the military parade will be held. In Florida, state Attorney General James Uthmeier warned that any 'No Kings' protesters who become violent will be dealt with harshly. 'If you want to light things on fire and put people in danger, you are going to do time. We do not tolerate rioting,' said Uthmeier said Thursday. Several 'No Kings' rallies are planned in Texas, including in San Antonio, Houston, Dallas and Austin. There were brief clashes between protesters and police who used chemical irritants during demonstrations in Austin and Dallas earlier in the week. Police in Austin made about a dozen arrests. Abbott did not detail where he was sending the 5,000 guard troops and another 2,000 state police, or exactly what they would do except to say they would be ready to help local law enforcement as needed. Mayors in San Antonio and Austin have said they have not asked for help from the National Guard. Abbott's move stands in sharp contrast to California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has publicly sparred with Trump over the president's decision to send National Guard troops and Marines to Los Angeles, where volatile demonstrations have mostly been contained to a five-block section of downtown. All 22 other Democratic governors signed a statement backing Newsom, calling the Guard deployment and threats to send in Marines 'an alarming abuse of power.'
