Sen Alex Padila, D-Calif.

Padila was in the same Los Angeles Federal Building last Thursday Where the Security Secretary of the Department of Homeland, Christie NoM, was underlining the decision of President Trump to send it to the National Guard soldiers and American Marines in response to the protests. Padila said that there was a meeting in a meeting with a separate officer under the hall, which was delayed in the NoM event, so he decided to participate.

Padila said that he was asked to participate and he was included in the press conference by FBI and National Guard officials. As he tried to question NoM, another set of officials caught him and removed him from the room.

“You have seen the video. I was pushed and pulled, struggled to maintain my balance. I was forced to the ground. First I was flat on my knees and then on my chest, and handcuffs were applied and a hallway was asked repeatedly, ‘Why are I being detained?” “No, once he told me why. I pray that you never have any such moment.”

The Homeland Security Department initially accused Padila of “derogatory political theater”, charging that he did not follow the requests. Secretary Nom said that he and Padila eventually spoke after a scuffle.

In his comment on Tuesday – his first on the Senate floor since the incident – Padila said that his custody marked a turn, which he described in protest against the “undemocratic crack” of the Trump administration.

“At one point,” Padila said, “The Secretary of the Homeland Security of the United States said that the purpose of the federal law enforcement and the purpose of the United States Army had to free Los Angeles from our governor and our Mayor. Somehow we were elected to free us from a lot of people and our state.”

Sen Alex Padila, D-Calif.

Etine Laurent/AP

Hide caption

Togle caption

Etine Laurent/AP

Padila called the comment “United Nations-American Mission Statement”.

He participated against President Trump’s efforts to focus on raids on the areas led by Democratic officials, and urged his colleagues to fight back.

He took him to the floor of the Senate surrounded by his democratic colleagues. Several Senate Republicans including Lisa Murkovski of Alaska and Thom Tilis of North Carolina were also in appearance.

Padila, son of Mexican immigrants, is an MIT engineering graduate, who entered politics after marching with his parents for immigration rights. He was appointed to his seat in 2021 to fill the vacancy created after Kamala Harris became the vice president and won the election next year. She is the first Latinia to represent California in the Senate.

During his about 20 minutes of address, Padila said that his experience should “shock the conscience of our country.” And he warned that if President Trump “can deploy Marine in Los Angeles without justification, he can also deploy them in your state.”

“Anyone will redeem America, but will not redeem Americans. Nobody is coming to save us, but us,” said Padila. “And we know that the cameras are not in every corner of the country. But if this administration is afraid of just one senator with a question, colleagues, imagine that the voice of tens of millions of Americans can oppose peacefully.”