In a shocking scene that unfolded in L.A., Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) was thrown to the ground and handcuffed by ICE agents after attempting to question a controversial figure known as “ICE Barbie,” Kristi Noem, the Homeland Security.
He was then forced to the ground and handcuffed.
In a now-viral video taken of the incident, Padilla is being restrained and removed from the room by multiple men.
“I’m Senator Alex Padilla. I have questions for the secretary,” Padilla is heard saying, as he struggles to get past the men removing him from the premises.
He can also be heard saying, “Hands off!”
A Fox News Reporter who reportedly witnessed Padilla’s removal says he was “forced to the ground and FBI police handcuffed him” before being “escorted down the hall” and “temporarily detained”.
Democratic officials said they were stunned by what the Senate minority leader described as the “manhandling” of a sitting US senator.
“They tackled a sitting U.S. Senator,” said Padilla’s communications director, Maria Esparza. “He identified himself clearly and repeatedly. This was a deliberate act of intimidation.”
The California governor, Gavin Newsom, called the Senator “one of the most decent people I know,” before adding: “This is outrageous, dictatorial, and shameful. Trump and his shock troops are out of control. This must end now.”
Chuck Schumer, the Senate Democratic leader, wrote on X that “watching this video sickened my stomach, the manhandling of a United States Senator, Senator Padilla. We need immediate answers to what the hell went on”.
