by Elpidio Estioko
California Sen. Alex Padilla was handcuffed and thrown to the ground after interrupting Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem while addressing the ongoing Anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) riots that have terrified Los Angeles city.
The Democratic senator was hauled out of Noem’s briefing as she called California and LA leaders “socialists” who are working against the Trump administration.
Padilla said from the crowd, trying to cut Noem off mid-sentence: “Secretary, I want to know why you insist on exaggerating and embellishing. I’m Sen. Alex Padilla, I have questions for the secretary.”
“Padilla was forced to his knees outside of the room, and then pushed face-forward into the ground as officers held his hands behind his back and cuffed him, footage from the incident showed,” the NY Post reported.
Padilla reacted by saying:
“If this is how the DHS responds to a senator with a question, you can only imagine what they are doing to farmworkers, cooks, day laborers out in the Los Angeles community and throughout California and throughout the country.”
But Noem told a much different version of events — insisting Padilla was apprehended because her Secret Service detachment was trying to protect her.
She told Fox News. “This man burst into the room, started lunging toward the podium, interrupting me and elevating his voice, and was stopped — did not identify himself — and was removed from the room.”
She added: “The way that he acted was completely inappropriate. It wasn’t becoming a US senator or a public official. Perhaps he wanted the scene, and that’s what he wanted. But I think the American people are sick of this kind of action. I think the American people are tired of this, they just want the truth.”
For about 15 minutes, Padilla and Nome met one-on-one once the press conference ended, and he was released and agreed to discuss the situation in LA further.
Noem said: “We probably disagree on 90% of the topics, but we agreed to exchange phone numbers, we’ll continue to talk and share information, and I think that’s the way it should be in this country. I wish he would have acted that way in the beginning instead of creating a scene like this.”
Reactions from the Democratic leaders popped up. California Gov. Gavin Newsom tweeted: “If they can handcuff a U.S. Senator for asking a question, imagine what they will do to you.”
In the case of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Reuters reported from the Senate floor: “I just saw something that sickened my stomach — the manhandling of a United States senator.”
More Democrats, including LA Mayor Karen Bass, called Padilla’s detainment “absolutely abhorrent and outrageous. He is a sitting United States Senator. This administration’s violent attacks on our city must end,” she wrote on X.
Senator Padilla is the first Latino to chair the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, and Border Safety.
He has advocated for a pathway to citizenship for essential workers and those who have lived in the US long-term without legal status.
This includes undocumented immigrants who have served as essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and “Documented Dreamers” – children of long-term visa holders. Filipino Americans, many of whom are immigrants and essential workers, would likely benefit from these policies.
Padilla has shown support for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities, including Filipino Americans.
He advocated and worked to pass the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, which aimed to combat anti-AAPI hate crimes and violence.
He also invited a Filipina frontline nurse as a “virtual guest” to a presidential address, demonstrating his recognition and appreciation for the contributions of Filipino Americans, particularly in the healthcare field.
Further, among Padilla’s support for Immigration and Filipino Communities are the following:
Registry Statute – Padilla supports updating the existing Registry statute, which would allow immigrants to qualify for lawful permanent resident status if they meet certain conditions. This could benefit over 8 million people, including children of long-term visa holders; Filipino Veterans – He has sponsored the Filipino Veterans Family Reunification Act of 2023 (S.1263), which aims to exempt children of certain Filipino World War II veterans from numerical limitations on immigrant visas; Access to Legal Counsel – Padilla introduced the Access to Counsel Act to ensure U.S. citizens, green card holders, and other individuals with legal status have access to an attorney or relative if detained at ports of entry
Pathway to Citizenship – His first bill, the Citizenship for Essential Workers Act, aimed to create a pathway to citizenship for immigrant essential workers who served on the frontlines during the COVID-19 pandemic; Veteran Deportation Prevention: He introduced the Veteran Deportation Prevention and Reform Act to prevent the deportation of non-citizen veterans and their families. Other Support for Immigrant Communities included Support for Dreamers. Padilla advocates for comprehensive immigration reform, including a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, and has urged the expansion of DACA eligibility
Opposing Deportation – He has actively worked to prevent the deportation of veterans and expressed concerns about the Trump administration’s actions targeting immigrants
Border Security and Immigration Courts – He introduced a bill to create an oversight commission for Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and supports fair treatment within the immigration court system
Padilla is a strong proponent of comprehensive and compassionate immigration reform, emphasizing fairness, respect for immigrant families, and recognition of immigrants’ contributions to the economy.
He has actively pushed back against restrictive immigration policies and has been recognized as a leader in advocating for immigrant rights.
Filipino-Americans are beneficiaries of Padilla’s efforts in immigration reforms!
ELPIDIO R. ESTIOKO was a veteran journalist in the Philippines and an award-winning journalist here in the US. He just published his book Unlocking the Chain of Poverty: In Pursuit of the American Dream, which is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Xlibris Publishing. For feedback, comments… please email the author at estiokoelpidio@gmail.com.
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