Immediate Investigation into Assault on Senator Padilla and DHS Misconduct

I am writing to you today out of deep concern and alarm over the recent incident involving Senator Alex Padilla, who was reportedly assaulted and thrown to the ground while exercising his constitutional duty to conduct oversight. Senator Padilla identified himself as a United States Senator — and still, he was physically attacked. Equally disturbing is the official response from the Department of Homeland Security, under Secretary Kristi Noem, which falsely claimed that Senator Padilla did not identify himself. This statement has already been contradicted by video evidence. This is a deliberate attempt to mislead the American public and cover up unlawful conduct. This is not just a breach of protocol. It is a violent and dangerous escalation by a federal agency that appears to be acting with impunity. DHS agents have already unleashed chaos in Los Angeles by raiding peaceful public spaces and targeting community members. But this new level — assaulting sitting members of Congress and lying about it on the record — is beyond unacceptable. There must be a full and independent investigation. There must be accountability. And there must be consequences. This administration has repeatedly claimed to support free speech and the rule of law — yet we are seeing the exact opposite: political intimidation, threats toward judges, baseless charges against elected officials, and now physical violence against them. This is not about partisanship. If this continues unchecked, it won’t stop with Democrats — it will reach any elected official who does not submit to political coercion, including Republicans. The time to act is now. We are a nation of laws, not a nation of political strongmen. I urge you to speak out forcefully, demand a retraction from DHS, call for an independent investigation into this incident, and begin serious discussions about the limits of executive power. If what we are witnessing is not impeachable, then what is?