Senator Alex Padilla, a Democrat from California, interrupted a press conference held by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in Los Angeles on June 12. The Secret Service briefly arrested Padilla, claiming he attempted to disrupt the event. However, the Department of Justice has declined to comment on whether Padilla will face federal charges. Secret Service officials described the incident, stating that Pad, who was wearing a shirt marked ‘United States Senate’ and identified himself by name, approached Noem without wearing his security pin, prompting officers to act in what they deemed appropriate.
Padilla was pushed out of the room by the Secret Service and briefly arrested after trying to ask the secretary a question in the middle of her remarks. He claimed he was forced to the ground and that officers would not answer why he was being detained. In a Senate floor speech, he criticized the handling of the situation, stating that officers would not provide an explanation for his detention. The Senate Democratic Caucus wrote a letter to Noem criticizing how law enforcement handled the situation.
Despite the incident, Padilla and Noem ended up holding a meeting afterward, which Padilla’s office described as ‘civil,’ and Noem described as ‘cordial’ even though there were strong disagreements between the two. The senator told CNN’s ‘State of the Union’ that he was escorted into the room by the National Guard and the FBI, as he was taking another meeting in the same building where Noem held her press conference.
Noem was in Los Angeles to address anti-ICE protests and riots that unfolded in the city as federal authorities conducted immigration enforcement efforts in the region. Fox News Digital reached out to Padilla’s office to see if he had been contacted by the DOJ. However, Padilla is far from the only one who has made waves for protesting ICE and DHS. Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., was arraigned in federal court on Wednesday for allegedly ‘forcibly impeding and interfering with federal officers’ during a protest outside the Delaney Hall Federal Immigration Facility in Newark on May 9.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was also arrested at the May 9 protest on a trespassing charge that was later dropped. McIver stated, ‘I pleaded not guilty because I’m not guilty. We will fight this.’ In New York City, comptroller and Democratic mayoral candidate Brad Lander was arrested and then released for allegedly ‘assaulting law enforcement and impeding a federal officer,’ DHS said last week. He was holding onto an individual that immigration court authorities were trying to take into custody, according to the Associated Press.
DHS said last week that ICE agents are facing a 500% uptick in assaults as opposition to the Trump administration’s immigration policies continues. Padilla’s actions, along with those of other Democratic officials, highlight the ongoing tensions between law enforcement and individuals who oppose federal immigration enforcement efforts. The DOJ’s silence on the potential charges against Padilla leaves questions about the legal repercussions for his actions.