California Democrat Slammed to Ground by Federal Agents After Questioning Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Immigration Policies

LOS ANGELES — In a shocking escalation of tensions between the Trump administration and Democratic lawmakers, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) was forcibly removed, shoved to the ground, and briefly handcuffed by federal agents during a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) press conference at the Wilshire Federal Building in Los Angeles on Thursday, June 12, 2025. The incident, captured on video by Padilla’s staff and journalists, has sparked widespread condemnation from Democrats and civil rights groups, who called it an “outrageous abuse of power” and a “direct assault on democracy.”

The confrontation occurred as Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem addressed ongoing protests in Los Angeles against President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration enforcement policies. Padilla, the first Latino senator to represent California and a vocal critic of the administration’s immigration crackdown, interrupted the press conference to question Noem about the DHS’s actions. “I am Senator Alex Padilla. I have questions for the secretary,” he said, as reported by Reuters, before federal agents, including some wearing FBI vests, moved to remove him from the room.

Video footage shows Padilla being pushed into a hallway, forced to his knees, and then pressed face-down to the ground by two FBI agents and a third officer from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The senator was briefly handcuffed but was not formally arrested or detained, according to statements from both Padilla and the DHS. Padilla later confirmed, “I was forced to the ground, and I was handcuffed. I was not arrested. I was not detained.” After the incident, he was allowed a 15-minute private meeting with Noem.

The DHS defended the agents’ actions, claiming Padilla “chose disrespectful political theatre” and that he was mistaken for an attacker when he “lunged toward” Noem. However, videos circulating online, including one shared by Padilla’s office, show the senator clearly identifying himself before being physically restrained. Critics, including California Governor Gavin Newsom and former Vice President Kamala Harris, dismissed the DHS’s explanation as a falsehood. “This is a United States senator asking a question, and in return, he is pulled, shoved down the floor, slammed to the ground,” Newsom posted on X, calling the incident “outrageous, dictatorial, and shameful.”

The incident follows a string of confrontations between Democratic officials and federal authorities over immigration enforcement. Last month, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested for allegedly trespassing at an ICE facility, though charges were dropped. Federal prosecutors have also charged union leader David Huerta and U.S. Representative Monica McIver in connection with immigration-related protests. Trump’s “border czar,” Tom Homan, has suggested that California officials, including Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, could face similar consequences for interfering with federal agents.

Padilla, the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, and Border Safety, has been a leading voice against what he calls the administration’s “increasingly extreme immigration enforcement actions.” Speaking to reporters after the incident, he condemned the treatment he received, stating, “If this is how DHS responds to a senator with a question, you can only imagine what they’re doing to farm workers, to cooks, to day laborers out in the Los Angeles community and throughout California.”

The incident has drawn sharp reactions across the political spectrum. Democrats, including Senators Cory Booker and Elizabeth Warren, labeled it a dangerous escalation by the Trump administration. “When you see a democratic nation having their executive begin to arrest mayors, begin to arrest judges, begin to arrest a United States senator who is simply asking for answers to their questions,” Booker said, warning of a slide toward authoritarianism. Roman Palomares, president of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), called the incident “nothing less than an outrageous abuse of power.”

Meanwhile, some conservative voices on X celebrated the incident, with posts calling for Padilla to be charged and praising the administration’s tough stance. One user, @J_P1776, wrote, “LAW IS KING. Senator Alex Padilla was arrested and is in custody. NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW.” However, multiple sources, including the FBI and Padilla himself, clarified that no arrest occurred.

The incident comes amid heightened unrest in Los Angeles, where nearly 400 arrests have been made in connection with anti-ICE protests since Saturday. A limited curfew was imposed in a 1-square-mile area of downtown Los Angeles following reports of vandalism and looting earlier in the week, though the Los Angeles Police Department reported no arrests for those specific crimes on Wednesday or Thursday.

As California sues to block Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops in Los Angeles, and with protests spreading to other major cities, Padilla’s treatment has intensified calls for accountability. “What happened to Senator Alex Padilla is a wake-up call,” said Representative Norma Torres on X. “This wasn’t a threat—it was dissent. They’re not keeping us safe—they’re silencing us.”

The Trump administration has yet to issue a formal response beyond Noem’s comments on Fox News, where she claimed law enforcement stopped handcuffing Padilla once they confirmed his identity. As the nation grapples with the implications of a sitting senator being forcibly restrained, the incident is likely to fuel further debate over the administration’s tactics and their impact on democratic norms.