1. United States
2. Ind.
3. Letter

I am outraged and demand immediate action regarding the forcible removal and detention of Senator Alex Padilla during a press conference held by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in Los Angeles on June 12, 2025. Senator Padilla, while performing congressional oversight and listening to Secretary Noem’s press conference, attempted to ask a question, stating, "I am Sen. Alex Padilla. I have questions for the secretary". In response, he was physically pushed out of the room by several men, some in plainclothes and some identified as FBI officers. Video evidence shows Senator Padilla being taken into a hallway, pushed face-first onto the ground, and handcuffed by officers wearing FBI-identifying vests. This manhandling of a United States Senator is outrageous, dictatorial, and shameful. As Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer stated, it "sickened my stomach," and "we need immediate answers to what the hell went on". This disgraceful and disrespectful conduct of DHS agents demands our condemnation. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus has called this "unacceptable" and an "assault against a sitting US senator". I demand a full and immediate investigation into this incident, consequences for every official involved in this assault against a sitting U.S. Senator, and assurance that Senator Padilla's questions will be answered, and that he will not be silenced or intimidated. This alarming act against a duly elected representative performing his duties is an affront to our democratic processes. We stand with Senator Padilla and urge you to take immediate action to ensure accountability and prevent such abuses of power from ever happening again.