Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) was forcibly removed from Thursday morning news conference after being disruptive.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was talking about ICE operations in Los Angeles, NBC Los Angeles reported. As Noem spoke, Padilla said, “You insist on exaggerating.”
“I’m Senator Alex Padilla. I have questions for the secretary,” he said. He tried to speak further as he was forcibly removed into an adjoining room, where he yelled “Hands off!” Politico reported, adding Padilla was handcuffed and removed from the room.
Noem continued to speak and Padilla told reporters, “We’ll have plenty of time to take your questions after the press conference.”
Noem continued speaking to the room of reporters and law enforcement officers.
This is part of the ongoing struggle between state and local leaders in California and federal authorities since the deployment of the National Guard and Marines in response to recent protests over ICE operations.
“Forcibly removing a United States Senator from a press conference is disgraceful,” Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.), the third-ranking Democrat in the House, said. “This administration’s chaos and corruption is out of control.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) called the incident “outrageous, dictatorial, and shameful” in a social media post shortly after the incident.
“Trump and his shock troops are out of control,” he wrote on X.
He added on X:
“I’ll visit with the senator and find out, really, what his concerns are and what we can do,” Noem said.
Padilla’s family immigrated to Los Angeles from Mexico in the 1960s. He is the first Latino to represent California in the U.S. Senate.
