LOS ANGELES – U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-California) was physically shoved out of the room Thursday during a news conference with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem at the Wilshire Federal Building in Los Angeles, where he was also briefly put into handcuffs by the FBI.
The confrontation was caught on video by dozens of journalists and later took the internet by storm at the sight of a U.S. senator being taken down to the ground by federal agents after asking a question – even if he interrupted Noem as she was speaking.
Padilla, the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, was then let go and led to a private room with Noem for 10 minutes, who was in Los Angeles to address the ongoing demonstrations protesting President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.
“I will say this, if this is how this administration responds to a senator with a question, you can only imagine what they’re doing to workers, to cooks, to day laborers out in the Los Angeles community and throughout California and throughout the country,” Padilla said to reporters at a hastily called news conference of his own.
US Senator Alex Padilla, Democrat from California, is removed from the room after interrupting a news conference with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem at the Wilshire Federal Building in Los Angeles on June 12, 2025. (Photo by PA
Padilla’s die
Padilla said he was in the federal building awaiting a scheduled briefing from federal officials and heard about Noem’s news conference down the hall.
He said he ventured over there because he and his colleagues wanted more information from the Department of Homeland Security on their immigration enforcement actions, especially in California.
“And so I came to the press conference to hear what she had to say,” Padilla explained. “At one point, I had a question. I was almost immediately forcibly removed from the room. I was forced to the ground and I was handcuffed.”
Padilla said he was not detained and not arrested.
Split image: U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla taken to ground outside DHS news conference in Los Angeles. June 12, 2025
What led to the chaos
Shortly before he spoke to reporters, Padilla was captured on video walking up to the podium past a bank of TV cameras and appeared to interrupt Noem as she was speaking about President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.
He clearly identified himself and started asking a question when two to three men started pushing him towards the door.
“I am Senator Alex Padilla, and I have a question for the secretary,” Padilla said at the public news conference, while being pushed out of the room by a man in a black button-down.
“The fact of the matter is,” Padilla continued, slightly out of breath as he was trying to keep control of his footing.
He then was unable to get a full sentence out, while he was asking Noem about “half a dozen violent criminals rotating on your, on your……”
But Padilla’s full question was not clear as he was literally being pushed out of the wooden double doors.
Democrats jump to defend
Immediately, Democratic U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell jumped on social media.
“America is dying,” Swalwell posted. “Trump’s agents just physically attacked a U.S. Senator. This is how freedom dies.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, also a Democrat, sided with Padilla almost immediately after it happened.
“.@SenAlexPadilla is one of the most decent people I know,” Newsom posted. “This is outrageous, dictatorial, and shameful. Trump and his shock troops are out of control. This must end now.”
Noem’s point of view
After the news conference, outside the federal building, Noem addressed what happened.
“If he would have reached out and identified himself and let us know who he was and wanted to talk,” she said, trailing off. “His approach was something I don’t think was appropriate at all.”
Noem later told Fox News that she and Padilla sat down and talked for 10 or 15 minutes “about his concerns.”
“He and I are probably not going to agree on 90% of things,” she said, “but we both left that room recognizing that when we have [meaningful] conversations, we get to better results.”
As for the larger immigration issue, Noem said that she and Padilla both agree that agents should be “going after violent criminals and those that perpetuate violence.”
Los Angeles-based Fox News reporter Bill Melugin shared video of what happened, describing Padilla as someone who “crashed” the press conference and in the eyes of the Department of Homeland Security, was seen “lunging” at Noem.
“Senator Padilla chose disrespectful political theatre and interrupted a live press conference without identifying himself or having his Senate security pin on as he lunged toward Secretary Noem,” a DHS spokesperson told Fox News. “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.”
On X, the Department of Homeland Security said Secret Service members thought Padilla “was an attacker.”
And there were those who cheered for Padilla’s removal, many saying that in their opinion the senator was rude and talked over Noem, pushing his way to the front.
One man questioned on X whether Padilla was here legally.
The answer to that is yes.
Padilla was born in Los Angeles, and before becoming a U.S. senator, was California’s Secretary of State, California state senator and a Los Angeles city councilman.
