Padilla Forcibly Removed at LA DHS Event

Senator Alex Padilla of California was forcibly removed and briefly handcuffed after interrupting a Los Angeles press conference on immigration hosted by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Padilla sought answers about recent ICE raids and criticized the Trump administration's response, prompting Democrats such as Rep. Adam Schiff to call the incident an abuse of power and urge Noem's resignation. Video footage shows Padilla identifying himself as a senator before being restrained by federal agents, including Secret Service and FBI personnel. Officials alleged that Padilla disrupted the event, did not display his Senate security pin, and appeared to lunge toward the podium. The incident has intensified national scrutiny of federal immigration enforcement in California and the treatment of elected officials. Padilla was not detained after the incident, and Noem later met with him privately.