Senator Alex Padilla, a Democrat from California, was seen being handcuffed and pushed to the ground by police during a press conference held by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in Los Angeles on Thursday.
Padilla interrupted Noem as she discussed her department’s ongoing deportation strategy within California, amid rising protests following recent immigration enforcement actions by the Trump administration.
Following the altercation, Padilla clarified that he was not arrested or detained. While the Department of Homeland Security attributed the disturbance to Padilla, they noted that he and Noem subsequently engaged in a 15-minute conversation.
A video shared with NBC News by Padilla’s staff depicts the moment two officers grabbed him by the arms upon his entry into the press conference. “I am Senator Alex Padilla,” he states as officers move him towards the exit, where he physically resists.
Padilla attempted to ask Noem questions regarding the deportations, insisting, “the fact of the matter is, a half a dozen violent criminals that you’re rotating on your…” before several officers intervened and forced him out of the room.
Footage later shows Padilla being escorted to a hallway, where three officers ordered him onto his knees, forced him onto his stomach, and instructed him to put his hands behind his back before handcuffing him. A voice in the video is heard stating that no recording was permitted in the hallway.