NEWS HEADLINES: Democrat Sen. Padilla forcibly removed from Noem press conference after ‘interrupting’ and ‘not complying with officers,’ DHS responds

OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
6:08 PM – Thursday, June 12, 2025

Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) was forcibly escorted away from a Los Angeles press conference on Thursday after attempting to hound Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem with questions during her remarks concerning illegal immigration policy.

“I am Sen. Alex Padilla. I have questions for the secretary!” Padilla declared, though several men had already begun forcibly escorting him out of the room.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) responded to the incident soon after.

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President Trump’s anti-illegal immigration policies—and the administration’s response to public protests and riots opposing them—have prompted looting, public destruction and overall hardship for law enforcement across the nation in recent days.

Following ongoing confrontations between protesters, rioters, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in Los Angeles on Friday, the GOP president was forced to authorize the deployment of National Guard troops, and subsequently, 700 U.S. Marines, to assist and protect law enforcement from being outnumbered by violent bystanders.

Later on Thursday, Senator Padilla (D-Calif.) claimed to reporters that he received a briefing from military officials when he learned that DHS Secretary Noem was holding a separate session.

“I was there peacefully,” he argued. “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.”

Despite multiple attempts on President Trump’s life—such as the two foiled assassination plots last year—and a series of recent assaults on ICE agents by nearby protesters and rioters, Padilla appeared to act surprised at the response, even though he only chose to identify himself while he was already being physically removed.

“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,” Padilla continued.

The DHS responded back to his remarks as well.

“Mr. Padilla was told repeatedly to back away and did not comply with officers’ repeated commands,” the DHS stated, maintaining that the agents “thought he was an attacker and officers acted appropriately. Secretary Noem met with Senator Padilla after and held a 15 minute meeting.”

Before Padilla began his abrupt, loud questioning without being called on, Noem addressed the press, outlining the administration’s initiatives—the central focus of her visit to Los Angeles. She stated that the Department of Homeland Security, its affiliated agencies, and the military will continue to sustain and increase our operations in this city.

“We are not going away,” she said. “We are staying here to liberate this city from the socialist and the burdensome leadership that this governor and that this mayor have placed on this country,” she said, referring to Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) and L.A. Democrat Mayor Karen Bass.

The incident unsurprisingly sparked outrage among Democrats. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) was among the first to condemn it on the Senate floor.

“I just saw something that sickened my stomach — the manhandling of a United States senator. We need immediate answers to what the hell went on,” he said.

Following this, a plethora of angry Democrat-written social media posts were shared on X. They accused Noem and the GOP administration of assault and disrespect.

One Democrat in question was California’s own Senator Adam Schiff. Schiff is widely recognized by Republicans as a leading figure who prominently advanced the now-debunked and unsubstantiated narrative of “Russian collusion” — concerning Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.

Governor Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) chimed in as well.

“@SenAlexPadilla is one of the most decent people I know. This is outrageous, dictatorial, and shameful. Trump and his shock troops are out of control. This must end now,” he posted.

Nevertheless, Republican officials also expressed sharp criticism of Padilla’s conduct during the incident.

“Padilla didn’t want answers; he wanted attention,” White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson asserted. “Padilla embarrassed himself and his constituents with this immature, theater-kid stunt.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) emphasized that what his colleague “ought to be doing, in my view, is making sure that we have rational immigration policy. And Sen. Padilla, who’s a nice man, sat on the sidelines for four years, watch the border completely be blown apart.”