California senator Alex Padilla handcuffed by federal agents in shocking 15-minute incident

Los Angeles, California – In an incident that has provoked widespread condemnation and raised serious questions about the boundaries of federal power, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla of California was forcibly removed and handcuffed during a Department of Homeland Security press conference on Thursday. The altercation occurred as Padilla, a Democrat and the ranking member of the Senate subcommittee on immigration, citizenship, and border safety, attempted to ask a question of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

Video footage of the incident, now widely circulated online, shows Padilla being restrained by multiple federal agents as he identifies himself as a senator and demands to be heard. “I’m Senator Alex Padilla. I have questions for the secretary,” he says, before shouting, “Hands off!” as agents drag him out of the room.

Padilla later told reporters he was not arrested or detained, but was handcuffed and removed “immediately and forcibly.” He had been present in the federal building to receive a scheduled briefing and attend the press conference, which he said was part of his oversight responsibilities. According to his office, the senator had submitted multiple inquiries to DHS regarding what he called “increasingly extreme immigration enforcement actions,” but had not received any response.

“If this is how this administration responds to a senator with a question,” Padilla said, “you can only imagine what they’re doing to farm workers, to cooks, to day laborers, throughout the LA community and throughout California and throughout the country. We will hold this administration accountable.”

DHS issued a sharply worded statement accusing Padilla of engaging in “disrespectful political theatre,” claiming he did not identify himself and “lunged toward” Secretary Noem. “@SecretService thought he was an attacker,” the agency said, defending the use of force.

However, Democratic lawmakers were nearly unanimous in their outrage. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the video “sickened” him. California Governor Gavin Newsom called the event “outrageous, dictatorial, and shameful.” Representative Jimmy Gomez said it posed a “threat to the rule of law and democratic accountability.”

While Secretary Noem acknowledged the optics were troubling, she characterized the event as a misunderstanding and said she had a “civil discussion” with Padilla following the press conference.

Still, the moment has become a flashpoint in an already fraught national debate about federal enforcement power, dissent, and the role of elected officials in checking executive authority. Padilla promised further action in the coming days.