California Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla was manhandled by what appeared to be a law enforcement officer on Thursday after he attempted to ask Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem a question at a news conference.
Video shows two men, one of whom appeared to be wearing a law enforcement badge, forcibly pushing Padilla out of the news conference where Noem was defending President Donald Trump’s use of the military to quell protests in Los Angeles against the administration’s ruthless deportation campaign.
Padilla—who identified himself as a U.S. senator as he asked about the administration’s immigration enforcement policies—was ultimately pushed out of the room and delivered to two FBI agents outside of the room where the news conference was being held.
It wasn’t immediately clear whether Padilla was arrested, but video shows the Mexican American senator was handcuffed and forced to the ground.
Padilla’s office released a statement shortly after the incident.
“Senator Padilla is currently in Los Angeles exercising his duty to perform Congressional oversight of the federal government’s operations in Los Angeles and across California,” the statement said. “He was in the federal building to receive a briefing with General Guillot and was listening to Secretary Noem’s press 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 more information.”
The Department of Homeland Security tweeted in response to the immediate backlash over the senator’s treatment and claimed it was all a scary misunderstanding.
“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,” the tweet said. “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. Secretary Noem met with Senator Padilla after and held a 15 minute meeting.”
The scuffle is the latest instance in which the Trump administration has sicced law enforcement officers on Democratic lawmakers seeking answers about the treatment of immigrants.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested in May when he tried to visit an ICE detention facility in his home state of New Jersey. Charges against Baraka, filed by Trump’s former personal attorney turned acting U.S. attorney for New Jersey, were later dropped, and Baraka is now suing Alina Habba for false arrest.
And New Jersey Democratic Rep. LaMonica McIver was indicted on charges of allegedly impeding immigration officers during the same ICE detention facility visit where Baraka was arrested—an instance where the Trump administration made good on its threat to try to jail the Democratic lawmakers who were carrying out their constitutionally protected duty of conducting oversight.
But the treatment of Padilla—who was merely asking a question at a public event—is a scary escalation of the Trump administration’s authoritarian actions.
“.@SenAlexPadilla is one of the most decent people I know. This is outrageous, dictatorial, and shameful. Trump and his shock troops are out of control. This must end now,” California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a post on X.
For law enforcement to treat a sitting U.S. senator like that, in broad daylight with cameras on them, is a worrying sign for the treatment average Americans would receive when exercising their First Amendment right to criticize their government.
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“They cannot deal with dissent of any kind,” California Democratic Rep. Mark Takano wrote in a post on X. “They will rough up citizens, protesters, even U.S. Senators.”
We are in uncharted territory—and not in a good way.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include statements from Padilla’s office and the Department of Homeland Security.