California Sen. Alex Padilla Forced to the Ground and Handcuffed for Asking Question at Homeland Security Event: Watch

California Sen. Alex Padilla was physically removed past handcuffed during a news convention successful Los Angeles connected Thursday, June 12. He was quickly escorted retired of nan room aft attempting to inquire Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem a question.

Noem, 53, was holding a property convention to reside nan ongoing protests against President Donald Trump's migration policies and nan administration's fierce response.

Padilla — who succeeded Kamala Harris successful 2021 to go California's first Latino legislator — has been an outward Trump professional and directed a recent station connected X astatine nan national migration raids successful Los Angeles.

“Trump isn’t targeting criminals successful his wide deportation agenda," he wrote, "he is terrorizing communities, breaking isolated families and putting American citizens successful harm’s way.”

Video footage that quickly circulated online connected Thursday shows officers dragging Padilla retired of nan room and into nan hallway aft he says, “I americium Senator Alex Padilla. I person questions for nan secretary.”

The footage past captures Padilla, 52, pushed down pinch his look against nan crushed and handcuffed by officers wearing FBI vests. Padilla tin beryllium heard saying, “Hands off!” during nan incident.

Padilla's agency issued a statement soon afterward, saying, “He tried to inquire nan Secretary a question, and was forcibly removed by national agents, forced to nan ground, and handcuffed.”

The agency besides clarified to nan nationalist that he was not still being held by authorities.

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Padilla later released his ain statement, saying, "We person many times asked nan Trump Administration for answers connected nan deployment of subject forces and nan needless escalation successful Los Angeles complete nan past week — and person gotten constricted to nary information."

"I attended Secretary Noem's property convention successful hopes of getting immoderate answers," he continued. "After identifying myself and trying to inquire a question, I was aggressively pushed retired of nan room, forced to nan ground, and handcuffed."

Padilla concluded: "If that's what they do to a United States Senator pinch a question, ideate what they tin do to immoderate American that dares to speak up."

The Department of Homeland Security responded to backlash from nan video connected X, saying, "Senator Padilla chose disrespectful governmental theatre and interrupted a unrecorded property convention without identifying himself aliases having his Senate information pin connected arsenic he lunged toward Secretary Noem. Mr. Padilla was told many times to backmost distant and did not comply pinch officers’ repeated commands.

Various politicians and members of his organization person voiced their support for Senator Padilla.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom shared nan video connected X, calling this incident “outrageous, dictatorial, and shameful.” He continued saying, “Trump and his daze troops are retired of control. This must extremity now.”

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus, which Padilla belongs to, called nan situation "unacceptable, afloat stop” and demanded “a afloat investigation and consequences for each charismatic progressive successful this battle against a sitting US senator." 

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote connected X, “Watching this video sickened my stomach, nan manhandling of a United States Senator, Senator Padilla.”

“We request contiguous answers to what nan hellhole went on,” Schumer added.