Federal agents forcibly removed Sen. Alex Padilla from a press conference held by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Thursday in Los Angeles, taking him to the ground and handcuffing him, according to the California Democrat’s office and videos posted online.
The incident prompted Democratic lawmakers to call for an investigation, including Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer of New York, who on the floor said the videos “sickened my stomach.”
One video from the press conference, where Noem was speaking about efforts to “liberate” Los Angeles from at-times violent protests in the past week, shows unnamed officials pushing Padilla out of the room while he is attempting to speak.
