Tensions boiled over in Los Angeles Thursday when Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) was forcibly removed by Secret Service agents after interrupting a press conference held by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Padilla, who was not wearing his Senate security pin or visibly identified, approached the podium unannounced. Security officers, believing he was a threat, ordered him to back away—commands he reportedly ignored.
The incident, captured on video and shared by Padilla’s staff, shows federal agents taking the senator to the ground, handcuffing him, and removing him from the room. “On the ground, on the ground, hands behind your back,” one officer said during the takedown. A staffer filming the encounter was told, “There’s no recording allowed out here, per FBI rights.”
Padilla later told reporters he was “peacefully preparing to ask a question,” calling on people to protest the Trump administration’s immigration policies. He met with Noem afterward for a 15-minute closed-door meeting, according to the LA Times.
The disruption briefly paused Noem’s press conference, where she defended ongoing federal immigration raids in California. “We are staying here to liberate the city from the socialist and the burdensome leadership,” she said. Noem did not disclose deportation numbers but emphasized that operations will continue, urging undocumented residents to “self-deport.”
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The city remains at the heart of a growing national debate over immigration enforcement. Since the weekend, ICE raids have triggered mass protests, detentions, and backlash from local leaders. Footage of federal agents tackling undocumented individuals and accusations of racial profiling have further inflamed tensions.
Amid public outcry, citywide curfews have been enacted and heavily enforced. Law enforcement reports show declining arrests following increased restrictions and early dispersal orders. Still, protestors allege police are using aggressive crowd control tactics, including “kettling” and less-lethal munitions.
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Despite heightened enforcement, many immigrants continue to work, driven by necessity. One undocumented food vendor said, “If we don’t go out to work, how do we cover our expenses?”
While Padilla’s detention highlights the volatility of the moment, Secretary Noem’s message was clear: immigration enforcement is ramping up, and Los Angeles remains in federal crosshairs.