Category: Americas

Padilla speaks out on rise in political violence and Trump’s polarizing rhetoric

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, joined CBS’ “Face the Nation” and CNN’s “State of the Union” to discuss the unprecedented militarization of Los Angeles and his forcible removal from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem’s press conference, where he was thrown to the ground and handcuffed after simply trying to ask a question. Padilla condemned the Trump Administration’s cruel immigration enforcement operations in Los Angeles, utilizing unnecessary and excessive actions to repeatedly escalate tensions across the region.

Senator Padilla set the record straight against blatant Republican disinformation on his forcible removal, highlighting that he was already in the high-security building for a scheduled oversight meeting with the general in charge of the military presence in Los Angeles and was escorted into the briefing room by law enforcement.  

Key Excerpts — CBS’ “Face the Nation”:

On his attempt to ask Secretary Noem a question:

• “The reason I was at the press conference, I was at a scheduled briefing with representatives of Northern Command just a couple doors down the hall in the same federal building when I learned of the press conference, my briefing delayed because the folks I was supposed to meet with were at that press conference. So I asked if we could listen in. I was escorted over, and that’s what I was doing.”

• “Why? Because for months and months, whether it’s in committee, the Secretary herself testifying and not providing substantive answers to questions, other representatives of the department, formal letters and inquiries that we’ve submitted, doing my job as a Senator to get information as part of our oversight and accountability responsibility. So to be able to ask a question of the Secretary directly when they offered the meeting after the incident, I took it, but sadly, no, nothing substantive, nothing informative.”

• “When I had the audacity to try to ask a question, as a Senator, of a cabinet secretary, that’s what happened. And you saw the response, everybody’s seen the video. It wasn’t about me, right? If that’s how this Administration responds to a Senator with a question, don’t just imagine what they’re capable of, but what they are doing when the cameras are not there, to people without a title like United States Senator, that cruel disrespectful treatment of so many people who deserve much better.”

On the unprecedented deployment of military personnel to Los Angeles and the Trump Administration’s broken promise to target violent criminals:

• “Among other things, their justification for the federalization of the National Guard, not only not necessary, but counterproductive as we’ve seen this last week in Los Angeles.”

• “And also just truth. You know, for all the talk about the focus and targeting of violent criminals, if that’s all the Trump Administration was doing, there would be no debate. There is no disagreement on that. But as you’re hearing more and more stories of undocumented, long-term residents of the United States who are otherwise law abiding, working hard, paying taxes, raising families and, frankly, working in jobs that under the first Trump Administration, when the COVID pandemic hit, were deemed essential. Workers in restaurants, in agricultural fields, in health care, construction, etc. — that’s who’s being targeted now, and that’s why there’s so much fear and terror in communities, not just in Los Angeles, but throughout the country.”

On Trump’s sudden order to reduce ICE enforcement and what broader immigration reform looks like:

• “Let’s hope there’s more to follow because they’re responding to what I and others have been saying for months, and what’s frankly, years, going back to the first Trump Administration.”

• “The State of California, the most populous state in the nation, the most diverse state in the nation, home to more immigrants than any state in the nation, mostly documented, some undocumented. This is the same California that is the largest economy of any state in the nation, fourth largest economy in the world, not despite the immigrant population, but thanks to the contributions of so many immigrants as a workforce, as consumers, and as entrepreneurs.”

• “So again, focus on the dangerous, violent criminals. No disagreement there, but the folks who are otherwise law abiding, taxpaying, and enriching communities. There’s got to be a better way, a pathway towards legalization, a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, farm workers, and others.”

On the Trump Administration’s harmful rhetoric and rising political violence, including the tragic Minnesota killings:

• “Look a lot of questions, a lot of concerns. I work directly with both the U.S. Capitol Police and the Senate Sergeant at Arms, and they’re doing what they need to do to ensure the safety of members of Congress.”

• “But I also think it’s more than appropriate to step back and say, why are tensions so high, not just in Los Angeles, but throughout the country? And I can’t help but point to the beginning of not just the first Trump term, but the beginning of the campaign, the tone with which the President launched his first campaign for president, served throughout his first term, and continues in this term. For a cabinet secretary, during a press conference, to not be able or be willing to de-escalate a situation when I was trying to ask a question — that’s just indicative of the tone of this [Administration].”

Video of Senator Padilla’s full “Face the Nation” interview is available here.

Key Excerpts — CNN’s “State of the Union”:

On why he felt the need to speak up:

• “Surprise, surprise, no substance came from that press conference, just political attacks. You know, when I heard the Secretary, not for the first time in that press conference, talk about the needing to liberate the people of Los Angeles from their duly elected Mayor and Governor, it was at that moment that I chose to try to ask a question.”

• “If all the Trump Administration was doing was truly focusing on dangerous, violent criminals, as they suggest, there would be no debate. There would be no disagreement. But we’ve seen story after story after story of hardworking women and men, maybe undocumented, but otherwise law abiding, good people being subject to the terror that the … immigration enforcement operations is subjecting the people to, I needed to speak up. I needed to try to get the information from the Secretary that they’ve refused to provide in hearing after hearing.”

On Republican disinformation that Sen. Padilla tried to “manufacture a viral moment” and that nobody knew who he was at the press conference:

• “Nothing could be further from the truth. Again, what are the odds? I was in a federal building a couple of doors down awaiting a briefing from Northern Command, because I still believe the federalization of the National Guard troops and deployment in Los Angeles was not only unlawful, unjustified, but counterproductive. It’s what’s escalated the tensions in Los Angeles.”

• “I was escorted during my entire time in that building, from showing up in the building, going through security screening, escorted by an FBI agent and a National Guard member to the conference room where I was awaiting a briefing. … They escorted me over to the press conference. They opened the door for me, and they stood next to me while I was listening for the entire time. And then, of course, once I was forcibly removed and handcuffed.”

On Secretary Noem and President Trump’s failed leadership:

• “I do think there’s some serious questions, how does the Cabinet Secretary not know the Senator from California when she steps foot into Los Angeles? She came through the Senate for confirmation at one point. And certainly, how does the Secretary of Homeland Security not know how to de-escalate a situation? It’s because she can’t, or because they don’t want to, and it sets the tone — Donald Trump and Secretary Noem have set the tone for the Department of Homeland Security and the entire Administration in terms of escalation and extreme enforcement actions.”

Video of Senator Padilla’s full “State of the Union” interview is available here.

Senator Padilla has been outspoken in calling out the ICE raids in Los Angeles and Trump’s misguided deployment of the National Guard and U.S. Marine Corps. Yesterday, Padilla led the entire Senate Democratic Caucus in demanding that President Trump immediately withdraw all military forces from Los Angeles and cease all threats to deploy the National Guard or active-duty servicemembers to American cities. Earlier this week, Padilla and Schiff demanded answers regarding the Trump Administration’s decision to deploy approximately 700 Marines to Los Angeles. Padilla has spoken at a spotlight hearing and on the Senate floormultiple times to blast President Trump for manufacturing a crisis by launching indiscriminate ICE raids across Los Angeles and deploying the National Guard and active-duty servicemembers to the region.