Los Angeles — A heated confrontation broke out Wednesday during a press conference led by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, when U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) was forcibly removed and handcuffed after attempting to question the secretary about ongoing immigration enforcement actions across Southern California.
Video footage shared widely on social media shows Padilla identifying himself and approaching the stage before being restrained by multiple men — reportedly federal agents — and pushed out of the room. In a separate video, he is later seen on the ground as agents handcuff him.
“I’m Sen. Alex Padilla. I have questions for the secretary,” Padilla can be heard saying as he’s forced through a pair of double doors. “Hands off!” he shouts as he’s ejected.
The press conference, held in a federal building in downtown Los Angeles, was originally intended to highlight the results of a controversial immigration enforcement surge by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Protests and sporadic unrest have followed in parts of the city in response to the raids.
Padilla’s office later confirmed he was not detained, stating he had been at the building to conduct congressional oversight and receive a briefing from General Guillot before attending Noem’s public remarks. According to the statement, he attempted to ask a question but was “forcibly removed by federal agents, forced to the ground, and handcuffed.”
The Department of Homeland Security offered a starkly different account, accusing Padilla of political theater and claiming he “lunged” toward Secretary Noem.
“Senator Padilla chose disrespectful political theatre and interrupted a live press conference without identifying himself or having his Senate security pin on,” said DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin in a post on social media platform X. “@SecretService thought he was an attacker and officers acted appropriately.”
However, in the circulated video, Padilla can be heard clearly identifying himself as a U.S. Senator prior to being restrained.
Noem addressed the incident later during the press event, saying she planned to speak privately with Padilla.
“When I leave here, I’ll find him and visit and find out really what his concerns were,” Noem said. “But I think everybody in America would agree that that wasn’t appropriate — that if you wanted to have a civil discussion, especially as a leader, a public official, you would reach out and try to have a conversation.”
The episode quickly drew backlash from Padilla’s Democratic colleagues.
“Watching this video sickened my stomach,” wrote Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on X. “The manhandling of a United States Senator, Senator Padilla — we need immediate answers to what the hell went on.”
Former Vice President Kamala Harris also weighed in, calling the incident a “shameful and stunning abuse of power.”
“Senator Padilla was representing the millions of Californians who are demanding answers to this Administration’s actions in Southern California,” she said in a post sharing the footage.
President Trump, meanwhile, praised the federal operation and confirmed that both the National Guard and Marines had been deployed to assist ICE amid local unrest. Noem defended the move during the press conference, citing “millions” of undocumented individuals in the city and stating that “tens of thousands” remain targets for deportation.
Watch the clip below:
United States Senator Alex Padilla was representing the millions of Californians who are demanding answers to this Administration's actions in Southern California.
This is a shameful and stunning abuse of power.pic.twitter.com/ODTNb92JE4
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) June 12, 2025
