The Congressional Hispanic Caucus is calling for the resignation of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem following the dramatic arrest of Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) at a DHS press conference. The group claims Padilla was “shoved, tackled, handcuffed, and detained” by law enforcement officers while attempting to carry out his duties.
Padilla was removed after interrupting Noem’s remarks and allegedly lunging toward the podium. Noem stated Padilla failed to identify himself and was not wearing proper security credentials, prompting officers to act based on standard threat response procedures.
“This man burst into the room, started lunging towards the podium, interrupting me and elevating his voice,” Noem explained after the event. “As soon as he identified himself, appropriate actions were taken.” Her remarks indicate the incident stemmed from a security miscommunication rather than a targeted political move.
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus, led by Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), issued a strongly worded statement accusing DHS staff of assaulting Padilla and labeling the incident as “dangerous and unacceptable.” Espaillat called for a full investigation and demanded Noem’s immediate resignation, stating she is “not fit” to lead the department.
FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino defended the officers involved. “The Senator in question was not wearing a security pin and physically resisted law enforcement,” Bongino stated. “Our FBI personnel acted completely appropriately while assisting Secret Service.”
The confrontation has inflamed partisan tensions, with Democrats accusing the DHS of political repression and Republicans defending the actions of law enforcement tasked with protecting federal officials.
The incident comes as scrutiny of immigration enforcement and sanctuary state policies continues to grow. Padilla, an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdowns, has used recent protests in Los Angeles to elevate his rhetoric against federal law enforcement.
