Who is California senator Alex Padilla removed from Noem's press conference, what exactly happened | All you need to know

California Senator Alex Padilla was forcibly removed from a press conference held by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in Los Angeles on Thursday. This incident has ignited strong reactions from Democrats including former US Vice President Kamala Harris.

The incident occurred when Padilla attempted to question Noem about federal immigration enforcement actions in Los Angeles. Padilla, a senior Democrat and ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, has been a vocal opponent of the Trump administration's immigration stance.

Who Is California Senator Alex Padilla?

Alex Padilla was the first Latino to represent California in the US Senate. He was appointed to the US Senate by Governor Gavin Newsom in January 2021 to fill the vacancy left by Kamala Harris’s election as vice president. He was later elected to a full term in November 2022. A member of the Democratic Party, Padilla’s political career began in 1999 when he was elected to the Los Angeles City Council. He served as the youngest president of the City Council and acted as mayor during the aftermath of the September 11 attacks. In 2006, he was elected to the California State Senate.

Why was he removed and what happened next?

Department of Homeland Security officials claimed Padilla failed to properly identify himself and acted in a manner they interpreted as aggressive, prompting agents to intervene. As per reports, Padilla and Noem met privately for approximately 15 minutes following the incident. Padilla addressed the media later in the day, defending his actions. “I was performing my constitutional duty of oversight,” he said. “I will not be intimidated or silenced when it comes to standing up for immigrants and holding this administration accountable.”

Democrats react

The removal has drawn swift condemnation from Democratic leaders. Former Vice President Kamala Harris called it “shameful abuse of power.”

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the incident “deeply disturbing." "Watching this video sickened my stomach, the manhandling of a United States Senator, Senator Padilla. We need immediate answers to what the hell went on," he added.

California Governor Gavin Newsom described it as “outrageous, dictatorial, and shameful,” accusing the administration of stifling legitimate oversight. “This is not how a democracy functions,” Newsom stated at a Sacramento press conference.

Chris Murphy, Democratic senator from Connecticut, said the incident marks “a very, very serious moment”.

He wrote on X: "This is a United States Senator being violently removed from a public briefing. Many of are reaching out to Senator Padilla right now and there are facts we need to gather, but this is a very, very serious moment."