Washington [US], June 13: US Senator Alex Padilla of California was pushed and restrained to the ground before being handcuffed by security after he tried to ask a question at a press conference by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in Los Angeles, California on June 12.
"I'm Senator Alex Padilla . I have a question for the secretary," Reuters today, June 13, quoted the US congressman at a press conference in Los Angeles, where Secretary Noem was speaking about protests against the deportation of illegal immigrants in the city.
"Hands off," Mr Padilla, 52, told security officers before he was forcibly removed from the press room.
A video shows what happened next: three security officers pushed him to the ground, handcuffing him behind his back.
Senator Padilla represents California, where Los Angeles has been the scene of days of protests against deportations of illegal immigrants. The White House has deployed National Guard and Marines to the city to protect federal buildings and agents from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
On the X account (formerly known as Twitter), the Department of Homeland Security accused Senator Padilla of inappropriate behavior and the US Secret Service believed he was the attacker and had to be dealt with.
Mr. Padilla said he was later released.
On X, California Governor Gavin Newsom called Mr. Padilla "one of the nicest people" he has ever known, and called what happened to Senator Padilla terrible and shameful, according to CBS News.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass held a press conference hours after the incident to protest the removal of Senator Padilla, questioning why the Secret Service failed to recognize Padilla, one of California's two senators and the state's first Latino senator.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
