Asian American officials blast Senator Padilla’s forced removal from DHS briefing

Asian American lawmakers have expressed outrage over the detention and handcuffing of U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) during a news conference of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in Los Angeles last week.

Padilla was taken into custody Thursday after attempting to pose questions about federal immigration enforcement amid escalating tensions surrounding the Trump administration’s deportation operations. Footage shows a Secret Service agent from Noem’s protective detail grabbing Padilla by his jacket and pushing him out of the room as he stated, “I’m Sen. Alex Padilla. I have questions for the secretary.” He was then forced to his knees before being wrestled to the ground and placed in handcuffs in a hallway, with multiple officers restraining him.

The confrontation unfolded after Noem made pointed remarks declaring federal authorities would maintain their presence and expand operations to “liberate” LA from its “socialist” leadership. At CNN’s “State of the Union” Sunday, Padilla revealed that military and federal personnel escorted him into the briefing room, directly contradicting DHS claims that he interrupted “without identifying himself.” “They opened the door for me, and they stood next to me while I was listening for the entire time,” Padilla said.

U.S. Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.), who questioned Noem on her knowledge of habeas corpus last month, delivered impassioned floor remarks in response to the incident, calling it “a humiliation of this body” and declaring “I have no words to describe just the absurdity of this moment and the dangers to our country and our union.” He also urged colleagues to condemn the incident and “stand united with one voice.”

Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.) said Padilla was only doing his job and demanding answers for his constituents. “Actions by federal law enforcement to detain him are shocking,” Meng said, calling for a full investigation alongside Hispanic Caucus colleagues.

Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) called the incident “sickening,” declaring “this is what authoritarians do” and warning “none of us is safe from this regime.” Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) directly refuted DHS claims, noting that Padilla introduced himself “first thing” in the video and that “there is nothing the Trump Administration won’t lie about.”

Former Vice President Kamala Harris also weighed in to defend her Senate successor, saying Padilla “was representing the millions of Californians who are demanding answers to this Administration’s actions in Southern California.” She also slammed his treatment as “a shameful and stunning abuse of power.”

Padilla, who became California’s first Latino senator in 2021, said he was removed while “demanding answers about the Trump administration’s increasingly extreme immigration enforcement actions.” He warned, “If this is how this administration responds to a senator with a question … I can only imagine what they are doing to farmworkers, to cooks, to day laborers throughout the Los Angeles community and throughout California and throughout the country.”

Congressional leaders are demanding accountability as tensions escalate over Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops and Marines to California amid ongoing deportation protests.

 

This story is part of The Rebel Yellow Newsletter — a bold weekly newsletter from the creators of NextShark, reclaiming our stories and celebrating Asian American voices.