Caribbean-American Congressman Leads Outcry After Assault On Senator Padilla

News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. June 13, 2025: Caribbean-American Congressman Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) is leading the charge in condemning the shocking physical assault and detention of U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) during a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) press conference in Los Angeles. The incident, which involved Senator Padilla being forcibly removed by security staff aligned with DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, has sparked nationwide outrage and calls for immediate accountability.

California Senator Alex Padilla makes a brief statement to the media after leaving the Federal Building in Los Angeles on Thursday, June 12, 2025. Padilla was pushed out of the room and handcuffed as Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem held a news conference. (Photo by David Crane/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images)

Espaillat, the first Dominican-American elected to the U.S. Congress and current Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, condemned the assault as “dangerous and unacceptable,” calling for a full investigation and Secretary Noem’s resignation.

“Sen. Alex Padilla was shoved, tackled, handcuffed, and detained while attempting to fulfill his constitutional duties,” said Espaillat. “The assailants were staff working for Kristi Noem. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus stands with our brother, Alex Padilla… it is painfully clear she is not fit to helm this critical agency.”

Joining Espaillat in the denunciation is The League of United Latin American Citizens, (LULAC), one of the nation’s leading Latino civil rights organizations, which expressed its “deepest outrage and condemnation” following the attack on Padilla. The incident was caught on video and shows multiple men grabbing and dragging Padilla out of the room as he attempted to ask questions regarding ICE operations in California.

“What happened to Senator Alex Padilla is nothing less than an outrageous abuse of power and a direct assault on our democracy,” said LULAC President Roman Palomares. “That a Latino U.S. Senator was physically removed from a public press event simply for asking tough questions is unacceptable and must not be tolerated.”

The video shows Padilla identifying himself and asserting his right to question a federal official: “I’m Sen. Alex Padilla. I have questions for the secretary.” Moments later, he is restrained and removed while shouting “Hands off!”

Although Secretary Noem later acknowledged the incident as “inappropriate,” critics, including LULAC and several members of Congress, say her response falls far short of addressing the severity of the situation.

LULAC has called for:

An immediate investigation into the conduct of DHS personnel

Appropriate charges for those responsible

An emergency U.S. Senate session to hold Secretary Noem accountable.

“We cannot, and must not, accept this as the new normal,” said Palomares. “Senator Padilla is not only a courageous public servant—he is an American hero standing up for the rights and freedoms guaranteed to every person in this nation.”

As the first Caribbean-American to chair the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Rep. Espaillat has reaffirmed his commitment to protecting democratic institutions and defending the rights of communities of color. With mounting pressure from advocacy groups and elected officials, attention now turns to how Congress and the White House will respond to what many see as an assault not just on a senator, but on the democratic process itself.