A California senator was quickly rushed away from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem after he barged into her press conference addressing the Los Angeles anti-ICE riots.
After loudly speaking over Noem, Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., was pushed out of the room by authorities as they ordered him to put his hands up.
The incident happened shortly after Noem said the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) “is staying here to liberate this city from the socialist and the burdensome leadership that this governor and this mayor have placed on this country and what they have tried to insert into this city.”
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Noem did not skip a beat, continuing her address without any reaction to the disruption.
Gov. Gavin Newsom took to X to comment on Padilla’s outburst, placing blame on the Trump administration for his temporary detainment.
“@SenAlexPadilla is one of the most decent people I know,” Newsom wrote in the post. “This is outrageous, dictatorial, and shameful. Trump and his shock troops are out of control. This must end now.”
Fox News reporters at the scene said Padilla appeared to be temporarily detained by Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) personnel and Noem later met with him in a private room.
Noem told Fox News she had a 10-15 minute discussion with Padilla and they swapped phone numbers, describing the interaction as “cordial and beneficial.”
She said the senator had concerns about ICE operations and they opened up a line of communication, noting things are OK between the two of them.
CALIFORNIA SHERIFF SAYS NEWSOM ‘ENCOURAGED’ LA RIOTS AS ICE ARRESTS VIOLENT ILLEGAL ALIENS
Padilla later released a statement, noting his credentials and claiming he was “performing Congressional oversight in Los Angeles.”
“Senator Padilla is currently in Los Angeles exercising his duty to perform Congressional oversight of the federal government’s operations in Los Angeles and across California,” according to the statement. “He was in the federal building to receive a briefing with General Guillot and was listening to Secretary Noem’s press conference. He tried to ask the Secretary a question, and was forcibly removed by federal agents, forced to the ground and handcuffed. He is not currently detained, and we are working to get additional information.”
Less than 24 hours prior to the incident, Padilla was pulled out of the Congressional Baseball Game in Washington, D.C. Wednesday night to fly home because of the riots.
He was slated to start at first base.
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