Dems accuse Trump DHS of ‘unprecedented’ violation for detaining Sen. Padilla

Over 200 House and Senate Democrats signed a letter condemning what they called an “unprecedented incident” in which Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., was forcibly removed from a Homeland Security press conference last week.

Signed by 188 House members of Congress and 35 senators, the letter accuses the Trump administration of a “potential violation of separation of powers” and said the incident “raises alarming questions about the conduct of federal law enforcement agencies, the coordination of protective services, and the administration’s posture toward congressional oversight.”

Padilla was handcuffed and briefly detained by officers as he aimed to speak out in opposition to Trump administration immigration raids that sparked unrest in Los Angeles and smaller protests across the country this month.

Videos of the incident showed Padilla attempting to walk up to Noem while she was speaking at a podium and trying to shout over the secretary, but law enforcement stepped in and forcefully stopped Padilla’s advance. 

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Padilla was eventually taken out of the room, brought to the ground and handcuffed, the videos showed. Fox News reporters who were present at the news conference said Padilla appeared to be detained for a period of time.

Padilla has claimed, “I wasn’t trying to be disrespectful or disruptive, and I don’t think I was” and “I was simply asking a question just as the members of the press corps ask questions, members of the Congress, members of the Senate ask questions to do our job to hold the administration accountable.”

The letter, sent by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and joined by hundreds more other lawmakers, was sent to House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., on Monday.

The letter was signed by the likes of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

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“We write to express our profound concern regarding the shocking and deeply troubling mistreatment of United States Senator Alex Padilla,” the lawmakers said in the letter.

The letter states that “Senator Padilla clearly identified himself and was acting within his rights as a Member of Congress,” and that “this unprecedented incident is not simply an affront to security protocol—it is a constitutional issue—as these actions may constitute an assault on a sitting senator.”

The Democrats call for “swift and decisive action” from congressional leadership “to uphold the dignity and authority of Congress.”

“If members of the United States Senate can be physically restrained for seeking answers from executive officials, it sets a dangerous precedent for the independence of the legislative branch,” the letter claims.

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Johnson has said that his view of Padilla’s behavior before the incident was “wildly inappropriate,” telling reporters, “You don’t charge a sitting Cabinet secretary, and everybody can draw their own conclusions.”

Thune spoke to Padilla and Senate Sergeant at Arms Jennifer Hemingway about the incident. 

Responding to the letter, Abigail Jackson, a White House spokesperson, told Fox News Digital that “this letter won’t fool anyone.” 

“Padilla lunged towards Secretary Noem’s podium in the middle of a press conference, resisted law enforcement, and didn’t immediately identify himself,” she said. “Democrats are so desperate to talk about anything other than their supporters violently rioting in L.A. that they’re trying to make a martyr out of a senator who acted like a kindergartner throwing a temper tantrum.” 

Fox News Digital’s Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.