Senator Alex Padilla forcibly removed from a Kristi Noem press conference in Los Angeles

California Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla was forcibly removed from a news conference Thursday in Los Angeles for interrupting Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's presentation on the immigration policies of the President Donald Trump administration.

According to a video shared by Padilla's office with NBC News, the senator identified himself by saying, "I am Sen. Alex Padilla." "I have questions for the secretary," before several men, some in plain clothes, pushed him out of the room.

In the footage, Padilla is seen being led to an outside hallway, where agents wearing FBI identification vests control him on the floor face down and handcuff him, demanding that he place his hands behind his back.

Padilla later told reporters that he was receiving a briefing from military officials in the same building when he learned of Noem's presence and decided to attend his press conference. "I was there peacefully," he said. "At one point, I had a question, and so I began to ask a question. I was almost immediately forcibly removed from the room, I was forced to the ground, and I was handcuffed."

The senator expressed his outrage, adding, "If this is how this administration responds to a senator with a question, if this is how the Department of Homeland Security responds to a senator with a question, you can only imagine what they’re doing to farmworkers, to cooks, to day laborers out in the Los Angeles community and throughout California and throughout the country.”

However, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) responded through a release on X, stating that Padilla “chose disrespectful political theater and interrupted a live press conference without identifying himself or having his Senate security pin on as he lunged toward Secretary Noem. Mr. Padilla was told repeatedly to back away and did not comply with officers’ repeated commands. @SecretService thought he was an attacker, and officers acted appropriately.” 

Political reactions

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer condemned the treatment of Padilla on the Senate floor, saying how it “sickened my stomach” and demanding "immediate answers.”

California Governor Gavin Newsom, in a post on X, described Padilla as “one of the most decent people I know” and called the incident “outrageous, dictatorial, and shameful.”

On the other side, Republicans defended the actions against Padilla.

The White House spokeswoman, Abigail Jackson, stated that the senator "didn’t want answers; he wanted attention” and accused him of performing an “immature, theater-kid stunt."