Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) delivered a sharp critique of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies following his controversial detention last week during a public event. Padilla was briefly detained by law enforcement while attending a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) news conference led by Secretary Kristi Noem.
According to Padilla and video footage released by his office, he was dragged out of the room, thrown to the ground, and handcuffed — despite identifying himself as a sitting senator. Noem initially claimed that Padilla failed to identify himself and had “lunged” at her during the event. However, video evidence shared by Padilla’s office directly contradicts her account, showing him calmly approaching the podium before being forcibly removed.
In an op-ed published Thursday in The New York Times, Padilla condemned the Trump administration’s anti-immigrant rhetoric, calling it a political smokescreen and an attempt to stretch executive power beyond its limits. “The anti-immigrant rhetoric coming out of the Trump administration is a scapegoat for Trump’s political failings,” Padilla wrote.
“What’s happening in Los Angeles is a warning shot.” His remarks referred to the controversial deployment of National Guard and Marine personnel to Los Angeles during recent immigration protests. The presence of federal forces has drawn legal challenges and sharp criticism from state leaders and civil rights advocates.
“But I pray it can also be a wake-up call — for my Republican Senate colleagues who have stayed silent in the face of their colleague’s handcuffing, but also for Americans of every stripe who think they’re insulated from Mr. Trump’s power grabs because they’re not immigrants or because they’re not from a blue state,” Padilla continued.
Under federal law, a president may deploy the National Guard to suppress insurrections or rebellions if local authorities are unable to manage the situation. However, California Governor Gavin Newsom has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, asserting that these legal thresholds were not met prior to the troop deployment in Los Angeles. The case is currently under review by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Padilla accused Trump of “deliberately twisting dissent” to justify his actions. “Today, it’s immigrants on the receiving end of Donald Trump’s outrage machine. Tomorrow, it could be anyone,” Padilla warned in his op-ed. The incident and Padilla’s forceful response have further fueled national debate over civil liberties, executive authority, and the militarization of protest response in the United States.