Democratic California Sen. Alex Padilla, in his first Senate floor speech since he was forcibly removed and detained at Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s news conference last week, sent a warning to the American people:
“If that is what the administration is willing to do to a United States senator for having the authority to simply ask a question, imagine what they’ll do to any American who dares to speak up,” Padilla said Tuesday. “If what you saw happen can happen when the cameras are on, imagine not only what can happen, but what is happening in so many places where there are no cameras.”
“This isn’t about me,” the senior senator continued. “It’s about every single American who values their constitutional rights. It’s about anyone who’s ever exercised their First Amendment rights, or anyone who’s ever disagreed with a president, or anyone who simply values our democracy and wants to keep it.”
Video of the incident showed that security forced Padilla to the ground and handcuffed him, and he was reportedly briefly detained. The Democratic senator had interrupted Noem’s Los Angeles press conference, which he had reportedly not been invited to, and it’s unclear what authority he had to be present for it.
Padilla’s office released a statement that said he was in the building to receive an official briefing and that he was operating in his capacity for congressional oversight. Noem told reporters afterwards that she had a cordial meeting with Padilla after the altercation.
Noem had been speaking after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol agents conducted immigration raids in Los Angeles, which led to protests and a violent crackdown by the administration, including President Donald Trump taking over the California National Guard to deploy the military to LA over the objections of state leaders.
“Colleagues, this isn’t about me. In fact, it’s not just about immigrant communities or even just the state of California,” Padilla said Tuesday. “It's about every single American who values their constitutional rights. It's about anyone who's ever exercised their First Amendment rights, or anyone who's ever disagreed with a president, or anyone who simply values our democracy and wants to keep it.”
