Senator Alex Padilla family: All on parents, wife Angela Monzon, and children
Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) was forcibly removed from a press conference in Los Angeles on Thursday after interrupting Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem during her remarks on the department's deportation plans in California.
According to Reuters, Padilla entered the briefing room and attempted to ask a question while Noem was speaking. Security agents intervened, reportedly pushing the senator to the ground and handcuffing him behind his back.
"I am Senator Alex Padilla, I have questions for the secretary," Padilla said during the news conference.
"Hands off," he added, before the was removed from the room.
A video of the incident, showing three agents forcibly restraining Padilla, has since gone viral and drawn criticism.
"Senator Padilla is a big, tall guy, and to see how he was handled out of that room is wrong and sick," Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski told reporters at the Capitol.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer added, "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."
Senator Alex Padilla was born and raised in Pacoima, a working-class neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley. His parents immigrated from Mexico to Los Angeles in the 1960s. His father worked as a short-order cook, and his mother cleaned houses.
Padilla currently resides in Porter Ranch, Los Angeles, with his wife Angela Monzon and their three sons: Roman, Alex, and Diego. He and Angela married in 2012.
Angela Monzon is a mental health advocate and the founder of FundaMental Change, a nonprofit organization launched in 2017 to support mental health awareness.
She holds an Associate's degree from Los Angeles Pierce College, a Bachelor's in Psychology, and a Master's in Public Administration (MPA) with a focus on health administration from California State University, Northridge.
Angela regularly speaks at schools, community groups, and public forums, often sharing her own experiences to promote mental health education. She does not draw a salary from her nonprofit.
Angela and Senator Alex Padilla began dating in 2009 and got engaged on September 11, 2011. They tied the knot on April 26, 2012, at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles.
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