An unfolded on Thursday in Los Angeles when Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) was physically removed, handcuffed, and detained by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents during a press conference held by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
The event ignited a firestorm of criticism, with New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) leading the charge, blasting DHS and the Trump administration for what she described as a “deeply alarming escalation in violence.”
READ: New York Rep. AOC Rips Dems: Stop Answering For “Every Teen Who Throws A Rock”
Video footage shows Senator Padilla identifying himself as a United States Senator and stating his intention to ask Secretary Noem questions. Despite this, he was seen being grabbed by multiple individuals, pushing them back, and being taken out of the room, forced to the ground, and subsequently handcuffed in the hallway.
“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,” said Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at Homeland Security.
Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez condemned the actions of DHS, highlighting two “grave and extremely alarming elements” to the incident. “First and foremost,” she stated, “a United States Senator who identified himself as such, who sought a question, his constitutional duty and an ability to conduct oversight to ask a cabinet secretary a question was assaulted, thrown to the floor and arrested.”
READ: Gov. DeSantis: Florida Drivers Have Right To Hit Protesters If Threatened
Secondly, Ocasio-Cortez vehemently disputed DHS’s official account, which claimed Padilla did not identify himself. “What is also deeply alarming is that the Department of Homeland Security under Secretary Kristi Noem has gone to the public and lied on record, saying that he did not identify himself when there is video,” she asserted, demanding a retraction and an investigation. She further characterized DHS as “an out of control agency” and called for “consequences.”
Secretary Noem, in an interview with Fox News, offered a contrasting narrative, stating that Padilla “burst into the room and started launching towards the podium, interrupting me and elevating his voice, and was stopped, did not identify himself, and was removed from the room.” She added that she and Padilla later exchanged phone numbers during a brief meeting after the incident.
The official DHS account on X echoed Noem’s sentiment, posting that “Padilla was told repeatedly to back away and did not comply with officers’ repeated commands. Secret Service thought he was an attacker and officers acted appropriately.”
READ: Florida Rep. Donalds Blasts Minnesota Gov. Walz For Comparing ICE Agents To “Gestapo”
The incident has drawn widespread condemnation from Democratic leaders. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) expressed being “sickened” by the “manhandling of a United States senator” and demanded “immediate answers.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom decried the events as “outrageous, dictatorial, and shameful,” laying blame on “Trump and his shock troops.”
Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) went further, calling for Noem’s resignation and an investigation, stating that “every senator who works in this Capitol should be offended by this and outraged by this.”
Ocasio-Cortez linked the incident to what she perceives as a broader pattern of intimidation by the Trump administration.
“For an Administration that has talked about free speech, the First Amendment, respect for the rule of law… they are being incredibly reckless in what they’re doing, and this is all coming down, not to the facts, not to crime, not to the law, but to political intimidation,” she stated. She concluded by declaring, “We will not be intimidated. We will not be silenced. They can come and get us.”
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Connect with us: Follow the Tampa Free Press on Facebook and Twitter for breaking news and updates.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox.
