It wasn’t instantly clear whether or not Padilla was arrested, however video exhibits the Mexican American senator was handcuffed and compelled to the bottom.
Padilla’s workplace launched a press release shortly after the incident.
“Senator Padilla is currently in Los Angeles exercising his duty to perform Congressional oversight of the federal government’s operations in Los Angeles and across California,” the assertion mentioned. “He was in the federal building to receive a briefing with General Guillot and was listening to Secretary Noem’s press conference. He tried to ask the Secretary a question, and was forcibly removed by federal agents, forced to the ground and handcuffed. He is not currently detained, and we are working to get more information.”
The Division of Homeland Safety tweeted in response to the speedy backlash over the senator’s remedy and claimed it was all a scary misunderstanding.
The scuffle is the newest occasion wherein the Trump administration has sicced regulation enforcement officers on Democratic lawmakers searching for solutions concerning the remedy of immigrants.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested in Could when he tried to go to an ICE detention facility in his dwelling state of New Jersey. Expenses towards Baraka, filed by Trump’s former private attorney-turned-acting U.S. lawyer for New Jersey, have been later dropped, and Baraka is now suing Alina Habba for false arrest.
Sen. Alex Padilla of California
And New Jersey Democratic Rep. LaMonica McIver was indicted on prices of allegedly impeding immigration officers throughout the identical ICE detention facility go to the place Baraka was arrested—an occasion the place the Trump administration made good on its menace to attempt to jail the Democratic lawmakers who have been finishing up their constitutionally protected responsibility of conducting oversight.
However the remedy of Padilla—who was merely asking a query at a public occasion—is a scary escalation of the Trump administration’s authoritarian actions.
For regulation enforcement to deal with a sitting U.S. senator like that, in broad daylight with cameras on them, is a worrying signal for the remedy common People might obtain when exercising their First Modification proper to criticize their authorities.
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“They cannot deal with dissent of any kind,” California Democratic Rep. Mark Takano wrote in a publish on X. “They will rough up citizens, protesters, even U.S. Senators.”
We’re in uncharted territory—and never in a great way.
Editor’s word: This story has been up to date to incorporate statements from Padilla’s workplace and the Division of Homeland Safety.
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